


Fódlan Alternative {Part Two: Azure Moon}

by digitaldreams



Series: Fódlan Alternative: Times of Turmoil [7]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: 50 characters from 50 creators, Fodlan, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Gen, Part Two, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:47:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 37,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29371833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitaldreams/pseuds/digitaldreams
Summary: Five years have passed since the Battle of Garreg Mach, and the continent of Fódlan has been left as a shell of its former self. When your slumber draws to a close, You awaken to find that war has come to ravage the land. You reunite with the students of the Blue Lion house and vow to do everything necessary to end the war raging around You. As Malice grows stronger, You take a stand against the horrors of war and vow to fight for peace, unaware of how difficult such a task will truly be to accomplish. Alongside Magnolia, who has been crowned queen, You press on for the sake of Faerghus. The path is long and daunting, but You know that You will not stop until after Fódlan has been freed, but You have no idea what destiny has in store for You before the final strike is dealt...
Series: Fódlan Alternative: Times of Turmoil [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1473530
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter Thirteen: Carving Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You awaken after years of unconsciousness and navigate back to the monastery. There, You find Magnolia, but You realize that the world has changed considerably since your last encounter with her...

_You feel somewhat drowsy when You next open your eyes. You are in a place that You do not recognize, cloaked in darkness. You glance around, curious as to what could have gotten You there._

**???:** At long last… You awaken.

_You follow your ears to see who spoke to You. Eventually, your gaze falls on a familiar yet different figure that stands nearby._

**Seraphine:** A lot has changed, wouldn’t you say?

_Seraphine has grown much taller since the last time You saw her, now nearly rivaling You in height. Her green hair is lengthy as it was before with pink and white ribbons braided into it. A golden tiara sits atop her head. She wears a purple dress with a pink cape that flows behind her legs. Mint green gloves cover her arms, and turquoise fabric wraps around both of her wrists to connect near her back. A golden belt is wrapped around her waist. You are taken aback by her shift in appearance compared to the last time You saw her._

**Seraphine:** I suppose I have grown up just as much as you have… Much has happened since we first used Divine Pulse on ourselves back at Garreg Mach…

_You gasp and ask where the monastery is._

**Seraphine:** It’s outside, if I had to guess… You’ve been dormant for a long time. I don’t even know how much time has passed, if I’m honest… Look at yourself when you get the chance, alright? You’re different.

_You question her on what she means._

**Seraphine:** There’s no time for that now. The rest of the world awaits you… I can’t walk at your side anymore, but I will always be here. Never forget that.

_The world begins to morph and fade away, and darkness covers your vision. When You next open your eyes, You find that You are somewhere else. You are on the ground, laying in gentle grass and looking up at the night sky. To the east, the first rays of sun are creeping over the horizon, marking the time of day as early morning. You slowly rise to your feet, the sound of rushing water filling your ears. You see a river nearby, and You walk towards it cautiously. When You arrive beside it, your eyes go wide as You see your reflection has changed. Your hair has changed from a deep teal to a bright mint color. Seraphine’s voice echoes in your mind._

**Seraphine:** Yes… You have changed. I assume it was Divine Pulse that did this to you.

_You look up and see what else is around You. It is clear that You are in a small town, but something about it feels familiar. Your gaze rises to see something on a nearby peak, and You recognize it as the monastery._

**Seraphine:** Go. Maybe your students are waiting for you there.

_You immediately set off running, feeling Sirius at your side as You sprint towards Garreg Mach Monastery. Your heart pounds in your chest as You grow nearer to the building._

_When You arrive, it is clear to see that the building has changed. No people can be seen anywhere, and overgrown plants are everywhere. You wonder what happened to the monastery while You were asleep._

**Seraphine:** I’m not sure… The last thing I remember before you fell asleep was the battle at the monastery. That was when war broke out… Perhaps it’s still going on…

_You continue to navigate through the monastery, and You see the Goddess Tower in the distance. As You get closer to it, You see a figure darting past the window. Suspicious, You begin to climb the stairs to see what awaits You on the top level._

_A person can be seen looking out the window, and You watch her carefully. She has short blonde hair cut in a bob that perfectly frames her face. She wears a layer of black fabric underneath blue armor lined with gold. The details are beyond intricate, giving the impression that the person in question is beyond important. She has a blue cape hanging behind her, and the Crest of Blaiddyd is stitched into the fabric with silver thread. She smiles gently in your direction upon noticing that You have arrived._

**Magnolia:** Professor…! You’re here!

_You approach Magnolia cautiously, noticing how much she has changed. You ask how much time has passed._

**Magnolia:** Five years have come and gone since we last saw one another… What happened to you? Where have you been?

_Your eyes go wide with surprise, and You explain that You have been asleep for a long time._

**Magnolia:** Asleep…? How peculiar… I’m not going to question you further since you seem uncertain of the details yourself, but… Since you’ve been gone for so long, I suppose that I should explain what all has happened in the past half decade… It’s been a lot, to say the least.

_You nod your agreement and step closer to her as she continues._

**Magnolia:** Five years ago, the Battle of Garreg Mach took place… That was the last time anyone saw you, and… Most of us came to assume the worst when you were never found again. Everyone was sent scattering, and the monastery has fallen to ruin. Lady Aisa… She’s gone missing as well. Today… We were all supposed to be here today. Regardless of class, we were going to reunite for the thousandth anniversary of the monastery’s completion, but… Nobody’s here to celebrate. Everyone has gone off to deal with the war. Malice forces have consumed the land, and I don’t think we would be up for a party even if the fighting had ended. I’ve been ruling over Faerghus as the queen, but… Times aren’t as easy as they once were.

_You watch her in surprise._

**Magnolia:** Yeah… It’s a lot. But what about you? What has been going on since we last crossed paths five years ago?

_You say that You lost consciousness during the Battle of Garreg Mach only to wake up shortly before coming to the monastery._

**Magnolia:** I didn’t think it was possible to sleep for so long without the influence of magic… Then again, I suppose that there’s always been something a bit different about you.

_You offer the possibility that perhaps your inherent arcane abilities were able to save your life._

**Magnolia:** Magic and the goddess could combine to form such an outcome… Your hair color has changed too. It used to be so much darker.

_You tell her that it was like this when You first regained consciousness._

**Magnolia:** That must have happened as a result of the goddess’ magic saving your life… It’s the only explanation that makes sense to me, so I guess we’ll just have to go with it for now.

_You question her on what she plans to do from here._

**Magnolia:** First of all, we need to get you some food. If you really have been asleep for the past five years, then you must be exhausted… Of course, that’s far more complicated than you would expect it to be because of the state of the monastery.

_You ask her what she means._

**Magnolia:** Thieves and bandits have made this place their hideout. I had to sneak past a bunch of them in order to get up here. With Lady Aisa gone, there aren’t any attendants that bothered to stick around. They were too afraid of the impending war to stay here, not that I can blame them. This place is a shell of its former self.

_Your eyes go wide once more._

**Magnolia:** I can catch you up more on the state of the continent after we’ve gotten some food though. I suppose that I have a personal stake in this fight… I wish to reclaim the monastery from the thieves that have taken over. You can call it nostalgia if you wish, but… My mind is made up. Would you fight with me in the battle ahead?

_You nod and say that You would be glad to._

**Magnolia:** Let’s get ready then. This isn’t going to be an easy fight, but I know we can handle it.

_You leave behind the Goddess Tower, following Magnolia all the way. The space in front of the monastery appears before You, and it strikes You as familiar even after all this time. Plants have overgrown in your time away, and rubble is scattered about. You see bandits and thieves hiding in the shadows of dawn like Magnolia told You. Relief blossoms in your chest as You recognize how lucky You were to not encounter any of them on your quest into the monastery._

**Magnolia:** Times have changed since you were last here, but I still think that we’re going to be able to do this. I’ll trust your judgement as I did before. Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll listen without hesitation.

_The battle starts properly, and You and Magnolia beat back the thieves. She has grown stronger since You last saw her, truly fitting of her title as queen. You are making progress on defeating the bandits when voices reach your ears from a short distance away. You turn to see who is responsible for the noise._

**Luciana:** Magnolia! My apologies for taking longer than expected, but I’m here now!

_This first figure is unfamiliar to You. She has lengthy brown hair that is tied away from her face by a golden comb at the back of her head. She is wearing a purple shirt with three-quarter sleeves and black riding trousers since she is mounted on a horse. Her dark boots are also made for riding, and she has elegant white gloves on her hands. A blue cape hangs from her shoulders with the Crest of Fraldarius stitched in with purple fabric. Two plates of silver armor sit on her shoulders. Her name is Luciana, though You are unaware of such a fact at present._

**Aestlyn:** I-I’m here too! We’ll help you to sweep these thieves out of the monastery! Promise!

_Aestlyn appears next to Luciana. Her hair is tied halfway up in a delicate style. She wears a dark blue shirt with white highlights and a black skirt with white ruffles. Her boots are tall and brown. A white cape falls from her shoulders, and her family’s Crest of Noa is sewn into its surface._

**Magnolia:** It’s good to see you two made it safely as well! Let’s keep going in the fight, and we can talk more afterwards!

_The fight drags on for a bit longer, and You hear two more voices as other figures come into view._

**Nora:** Would you look at that? Trouble found you when we turned away… Of course.

_Nora’s hair is longer than before and falls down her back in a braid. She is wearing a red shirt underneath white and gold armor, and her boots match the same pattern. A pink cape trails behind her. She wears black trousers and fingerless gloves._

**Kyle:** It falls to us to take care of the issue before it can grow worse then! Let’s get to it!

_Kyle’s hair is tied in a ponytail, and he wears an ornate silver necklace around his neck. His white shirt is partially obscured by his dark blue jacket. His trousers are the same dark blue, and a green gem rests where his collar bones meet._

**Magnolia:** Nora! Kyle! It’s nice to see you two here again!

_Further into the fight, another pair appears on the scene._

**Illona:** Wow! There’s, uh… A lot more going on here than I expected!

_Illona has grown her hair out and tied it into a single ponytail at the back of her head. She is wearing a layered white and gray fur cape on one shoulder while the other arm bears a small amount of armor. Black fingerless gloves with purple ribbons are on her hands. Illona is wearing a purple bodice with a beaded sash around her waist. Matching beads surround her boots. Her leggings are black, though the lower segments are hidden by her purple laced boots. The top of her shoes are lined with gray. A quiver hangs from her waist._

**Falon:** Looks like you’ve fallen into trouble… We’ll do what we can to help out.

_Falon’s red hair is tied into a ponytail, and she wears a fancy white blouse with expensive dark trousers. Her laced knee-high boots appear to be rather new as well. Despite the ornate clothing, there is an odd sense of sadness lurking in her eyes._

**Magnolia:** Thank you both so much! We can talk more after this is over!

_Not long afterwards, a final group of figures appears on the battlefield._

**Karim:** Damn, getting here wasn’t easy… At least we’ve arrived now!

_Karim wears rather basic clothing consisting of a green shirt and black trousers. His boots are brown and made of firm leather. Armor litters his ensemble._

**Reese:** Trouble has come back, it seems… We really can’t relax these days, huh?

_Reese’s hair is tied back in a ponytail, and he is wearing a white button-up shirt, though the top is left open to expose his chest. He is also wearing black trousers and a bright blue sheath for a dagger. A darker blue jacket is tied around his waist._

**Cassia:** Everyone is already here… Good. It’s nice to know you’re all still safe.

_Cassia’s hair is left down, and she wears a white shirt beneath an expensive blue corset. Her trousers are black while her boots are brown, and both are clearly made for riding animals. A loose blue bow is tied at her neck. Her once-permanent smile has disappeared._

**Magnolia:** Everyone’s back together now…! Perfect! Let’s finish this quickly so that we can talk about everything that’s happened!

_You continue to fight alongside the Blue Lions, taking the chance to talk to them along the way._

_If You speak with Aestlyn, the following dialogue plays out._

**Aestlyn:** You have no idea how worried all of us were! Then again, I suppose that’s to be expected given the circumstances… Let’s talk later. We have a lot to discuss.

_If You speak with Nora, the following dialogue plays out._

**Nora:** A lot has happened since we last crossed paths, Professor… That feels like the understatement of a lifetime though. I’m glad you’re okay. That’s what matters.

_If You speak with Illona, the following dialogue plays out._

**Illona:** I can’t believe that you’re actually here! I was so sure that you had… Nevermind. Let’s just take care of these thieves so that we can talk more.

_If You speak with Kyle, the following dialogue plays out._

**Kyle:** You sure are a person of many talents… Cheating death appears to be your latest spectacle, and I couldn’t be more impressed. You’ll have to teach me that trick later.

_If You speak with Karim, the following dialogue plays out._

**Karim:** You’re back… It doesn’t feel real that I’m saying that, but I’m still glad that I am. So much has changed since we were last together, but we’re together now, and that’s what matters.

_If You speak with Cassia, the following dialogue plays out._

**Cassia:** I spent so much time searching for you, and while I do wish that I could have found you sooner, I’m glad that you’re still alive… I was starting to lose hope.

_If You speak with Falon, the following dialogue plays out._

**Falon:** We were all so sure that you had died during the Battle of Garreg Mach… I guess this is what we get for doubting you, Professor. You always find new ways to impress.

_If You speak with Reese, the following dialogue plays out._

**Reese:** Look at you, going out and raising hell all over again… I don’t see why I should be shocked. It’s good to have you back.

_If You speak with Luciana, the following dialogue plays out._

**Luciana:** I don’t believe we’ve met yet… You can call me Luciana. Let’s speak more after the fight draws to a close, alright?

_Eventually, You and the rest of the Blue Lions begin to close in on the thieves’ commander, Damon._

_If anyone initiates combat with Damon, the following dialogue plays out._

**Damon:** There wasn’t supposed to be anybody here! Quit causing problems for us, will you?!

_When Damon is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Damon:** No… How could this happen…?!

_After the battle, You stand with the rest of the fighters at the center of the battlefield._

**Magnolia:** It’s so nice to see all of you here again… I was worried that I wouldn’t get the chance to speak with you once more.

 **Reese:** Not even a war was able to keep us from meeting up here… It’s no party, but it’s certainly something.

 **Falon:** It’s been ages since I’ve heard from some of you… It’s nice to know that you’re still alive.

 **Illona:** You can stop looking at me, Falon… I’m fine, and I’m sorry if any of you believed otherwise.

 **Kyle:** This is truly a lovely occasion. We should honor this somehow. Even if we’re living in a war, we can still spare a few minutes to rest.

 **Karim:** How about we head back into the monastery? We might as well look around our old stomping grounds a bit.

 **Cassia:** Hm… I suppose that indulging in such nostalgia for a brief while wouldn't hurt anyone.

 **Luciana:** It’s been far too long since I was last here… It’ll be nice to see the monastery in its full glory once again.

 **Aestlyn:** I don’t know what we’re still standing around here for then. Let’s head inside.

 **Nora:** I believe that we’ve routed all the thieves, so we shouldn’t have any issues with settling down inside.

_You move into the monastery with the rest of the students. You explain to them what happened over the past five years as You stand in the cathedral._

**Aestlyn:** You really were asleep…? That’s certainly not the explanation I saw coming.

 **Karim:** It’s weird, but… I guess that it isn’t completely impossible if magic was involved.

 **Falon:** If you’ve been asleep for so long, then I guess that you’ll be wanting an explanation of what’s been happening across the continent.

_You nod your confirmation._

**Cassia:** First and foremost, the monastery was abandoned after the Battle of Garreg Mach. Nobody has come through the Officers Academy since you disappeared. We all had to focus our full attention on fighting the war.

 **Nora:** The Knights of Seiros have assembled to try and find signs of Lady Aisa. She disappeared five years ago in the aftermath of the battle, but… I’m personally not optimistic. I think that she’s long gone, and they’re chasing phantoms at this point.

 **Kyle:** Magnolia took over as the queen of Faerghus. She’s been battling against Malice forces, but that’s far easier said than done given the conflict taking place within the court. Trying to keep everyone relaxed while simultaneously attempting reform isn’t easy.

 **Magnolia:** You can certainly say that again… But I’m not the only one who has taken over a throne recently. Raithius is in charge of the Alliance these days, and he’s doing his best to keep everything under control there.

 **Reese:** Times have changed significantly, to say the least… The Empire hasn’t been faring well either. The one responsible for the attack on the monastery five years ago, Argades von Doroftie, took over the throne without any opposition. He’s been acting as the emperor ever since then.

 **Illona:** Rumor has it that Chris was killed in the Battle of Garreg Mach… That’s what Argades has been saying anyways. He doesn’t want to even entertain the idea that she could have survived.

 **Luciana:** That should cover the basics of what you’ve missed out on… Times have changed significantly in the past five years. Malice forces can be found everywhere, and we have to be careful of what lurks around every corner.

 **Magnolia:** Coming here today was a risk in of itself… The continent isn’t as safe as it used to be… But I think that there could be advantages to staying here long term.

 **Aestlyn:** You’re thinking from a tactical perspective, aren’t you?

 **Falon:** Garreg Mach is at the center of the continent… With enough work, this place could be the perfect base of operations.

 **Nora:** It offers us a perfect way to invade surrounding territories, and the mountains offer decent protection against all attacks that aren’t perfectly organized.

 **Kyle:** If we’re going to be staying here though, we’re going to need to clean up as much as possible…

 **Karim:** Kyle’s right there. This place is in shambles compared to how it once was, so it’ll take quite a bit of extra effort to make sure we can actually work here.

 **Cassia:** If we all work together, we should be able to pull it off.

 **Luciana:** It would certainly aid our cause if we were able to bring the monastery back to its former glory…

 **Illona:** Does everyone here want to keep fighting for this cause? I know that times are tough right now, and we wouldn’t want to pressure anyone into it.

 **Reese:** I made up my mind the second I came here. If I have the chance to fight alongside you all, then I’m in.

 **Aestlyn:** I feel the same way.

 **Falon:** I’ll do what I can to end this conflict swiftly.

 **Kyle:** I’d be happy to pitch in too.

 **Nora:** It’s about time that all of this madness ended.

 **Cassia:** I’ve been collaborating with the Knights of Seiros recently, but I’m sure I would be able to resign there to come fight here.

 **Karim:** I want Malice gone as soon as possible, so you can count me in.

 **Illona:** There are lots of people who need to be protected, and I want to defend them. I’m in too.

 **Luciana:** I wouldn’t dream of abandoning this cause now.

 **Reese:** Seems like we’re all in agreement then.

 **Magnolia:** For now, we should focus our attention to cleaning up the monastery. We can talk more once everything has been cleaned up, but the monastery is a serious work in progress. Luciana and I can take care of the necessary preparations to mobilize the Kingdom army. Let’s meet back here in a few hours to discuss the matter once again.

_The Blue Lions disperse at her words, but Magnolia and Luciana both linger for a moment longer. They both turn to face You._

**Luciana:** I suppose that now is the perfect time for me to introduce myself properly. My name is Luciana. I’ve been working as Magnolia’s advisor these past few years. The Kingdom is a daunting place right now, and she requested my aid once she ascended to the throne.

 **Magnolia:** Luciana was a student at the Officers Academy the year before we came to attend classes. She knows what she’s doing, and I place my full trust in her.

_You nod and tell Luciana that it’s a pleasure to meet her._

**Luciana:** As to you. Magnolia and the other Blue Lions who have stood by her these past few years have told me a lot about you. They truly do care for you.

 **Magnolia:** It’s nice to see that you’re back again… Is there anything that we can do to help you settle in?

_You say that You have one question for them._

**Magnolia:** Go right ahead.

_You ask if they have heard anything relating to Janae or Evenor._

**Magnolia:** No… Janae went missing after the Battle of Garreg Mach, and nobody has seen or heard from her since. Somebody must have taken her since no body was left behind. As for Evenor… Nothing there either. She’s a mystery, and we have no idea where she is.

_You nod sadly._

**Magnolia:** I understand why you’re upset about that… We’ll do what we can to find out more about them in the future. How does that sound?

_You thank her for the offer._

**Luciana:** I’ll try to put some attention to that as soon as possible. For the time being, we should get to cleaning up the monastery.

 **Magnolia:** I agree. This place isn’t in great shape, but… It’s good for us. You should try to talk to everybody that’s here too. We’ve all missed you terribly, and we had almost given up hope on you being alive at all. If you need something, all you need to do is say so. We aren’t your students anymore, but we’ll still do what we can to aid you as comrades and companions. Consider it a vow on the crown itself.

_Magnolia and Luciana walk away. You close your eyes, seeing Seraphine in your mind when You do so._

**Seraphine:** So much has changed… I long for the way things once were, but… I know we can’t go back to that. For now, we have a monastery to clean, don’t we?

_You nod and open your eyes once again, walking after Magnolia and Luciana. You do not know what the future will hold, but You can tell that the flames of war are raging on the horizon. You will fight for what You hold dear no matter what, even if the path ahead is shrouded in uncertainty and turmoil…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're here, everybody! The second part of the Blue Lions path is here, and we're going to press on with the content of time skip! 
> 
> This is the second path that will be completed, and I'm going to be maintaining the regular Friday update schedule until after the storyline is finished. I'm up to chapter twenty-two in my typing as of now since I like to be ahead, and I'll be starting support conversations soon enough to go with the main plot. For the time being though, I hope that you enjoyed this new chapter! There will be more where that came from!
> 
> -Digital


	2. Chapter Fourteen: First Strike I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You explore the monastery after making plans for your initial attack within Faerghus.

_A few weeks after your reunion with the Blue Lions, You stand in the cathedral, admiring your handiwork._

**Magnolia:** We were able to work far faster than I anticipated… It’s good to know that we have the same teamwork power as always.

 **Karim:** This place was a wreck when we got here, but it certainly looks like a place that we could actually live in now.

 **Reese:** Of course, we can’t get stagnant now. We have other matters to take care of. What are we planning to do next?

 **Luciana:** There have been quite a few troops of Malice forces on the move as of late. They appear to be moving towards a specific target, but we aren’t sure what it could be yet.

 **Illona:** I get it. Our first mission is going to be about gathering information so that we can find out what they want.

 **Kyle:** That makes sense… I hope that the Malice forces don’t wind up being too problematic from here on out. That would be absolutely dreadful.

 **Nora:** Considering the fact that they’ve been up to so much in the past few years, we really shouldn’t expect anything from them.

 **Aestlyn:** I think that we’ll be able to handle it… That’s what I’m hoping for, at the very least.

 **Cassia:** It will be a while before we’re ready to actually march on the Malice forces in question. We have a lot of preparing left to take care of first.

 **Falon:** That’s true… We’re going to have to get all of that out of the way first before we even consider setting our sights on Malice.

 **Luciana:** I’ll work with Magnolia to ensure that we come up with a proper strategy to carry out our mission successfully. Until then, I feel the best course of action would be to focus on settling in.

 **Kyle:** That’s right. It’s been years since we were last here, so we’re going to have to make sure that we’re up for what’s to come next.

 **Karim:** A few other people have arrived at the monastery since we first got here. Maybe we should do what we can in order to help them get settled in too.

 **Illona:** Sounds like a plan to me. It’s not going to be easy because of all the time that goes into something like this, but… We’ll find a way to pull it off.

 **Falon:** The monastery hasn’t been at full occupancy in five years, but we’ll make do with what we can for now.

 **Cassia:** I’m sure that our movements here will attract the notice of Malice. We’ll have to be careful to ensure that nothing goes wrong should they catch us.

 **Aestlyn:** We’ll have to try and remain as covert as possible until after we’ve established a notable following.

 **Nora:** We can do that. I like to think that we’ve all grown in the past five years and know to not make stupid choices.

 **Reese:** Perfect then. We’ve all got our missions, so there’s no reason for us to waste time standing around here.

 **Magnolia:** Perfect. I’ll see you all around the monastery. Let’s be sure to give Malice’s forces hell.

_After the conversation ends, You decide to look around the monastery and see who all has shown up once again. Note: from here on out, character dialogue around the monastery will only take place if the character was recruited during Part One. Any characters not recruited will not be found on the map._

_In the cathedral, You find Kyle and Cassia engaged in conversation._

**Kyle:** You know, I think that we’ve really made this place look nice… You know, aside from the gaping hole in the cathedral ceiling.

 **Cassia:** That’s a bit beyond our skill levels to fix. Clearing away rubble is one thing, but repairing something like that would take too many valuable resources we need elsewhere.

 **Kyle:** At least the statue of the goddess is still standing. It’s an incredible work of art, and I would hate to see it fall to pieces.

 **Cassia:** It’s also a sign of what once was and will never be again.

 **Kyle:** Yeah… I guess you’re right.

_You also find Reese standing in the cathedral._

**Reese:** It sucks that we’re reuniting under such dismal circumstances. I understand that I couldn’t expect a party after all that’s happened, but… It’s still unfortunate that we have to meet this way. Then again, I suppose that the war doesn’t care about what we think. It’s just going to keep pressing on, keep taking lives, until the entire continent has been run bone dry… There’s no glory in this conflict. Only suffering.

_You leave behind the cathedral and see someone on the bridge. While You do not recognize him at first, You realize belatedly that it is Hegias. He has grown much paler, barely seeming human. You recognize his skin tone as matching Evenor’s after a moment. His hair is longer and tied half-up at the back of his head. He wears white robes with red designs scattered about and matching trousers. He has a black necklace on, and matching black armor is scattered around his body._

**Hegias:** It took you a minute to recognize me, huh? That’s understandable… A lot has changed for me in the past five years… But don’t let me scare you or anything. I’m still the same person as before, even if I don’t look like it… Oh, well. That doesn’t matter much right now. I’m glad you’re still alive.

 _You make your way to the reception hall. Inside, You see a variety of figures. First, You cross paths with Cedric._ _He is wearing white armor with silver highlights, giving him a noble and regal aura. He wears black gloves and a green cape. The Crest of Gloucester can be seen sewn into the fabric. A sword sheath hangs from his hip, and he rides a horse just as he did in the days five years prior._

 **Cedric:** It’s such a relief to see that you’re still alive and well. There were many who lost faith in a reunion like this being possible after the Battle of Garreg Mach, but… I never gave up hope. It’s good to see that my confidence wasn’t misplaced. It’s nice to see you again, Professor.

 _You move deeper into the reception hall and find Adrian._ _His hair is longer, and a thin scar runs across his face. On his right shoulder is a golden plate of armor, and a red sash falls across his chest. The rest of his torso is left exposed. He wears brown and green trousers as well, and black gloves are on either one of his hands._

 **Adrian:** Professor! It sure has been a long time since we last saw each other, huh? So much has changed in the past five years… Everyone was so sure that you had died, but I wanted to stay optimistic… I’m glad to see that hope was not in vain. Welcome back to the land of the living, even if it is a little depressing right now.

_You approach the final person in the reception hall, Yuliya. While only five years have passed, she seems much older. Her hair now flows wildly around her, and she wears a black dress over transparent tights. Her shoes are black as well, and she has a lengthy cape on as well. A golden locket hangs from her neck._

**Yuliya:** Another place, another war… I’m so tired of all this. No matter where you go, there’s no way to catch a break. I want to impale Argades von Doroftie on my damn sword for causing this. Anyone else who’s significant in Malice will get the same treatment. It’s just sickening and annoying.

_You move to the entrance hall. Inside, You find Zelhira. Her hair has become silvery blue, and her eyes are a piercing crimson. She is wearing dark brown lace-up boots that reach her thighs and a burgundy dress. Black tights cover her upper thighs. A dark red cape hangs around her shoulders with golden details at the edge. She completes the look with black fingerless gloves beneath silver gauntlets._

**Zelhira:** Your hair…! It’s so much paler than it was before… What happened?

_You say that You simply woke up with the shift._

**Zelhira:** I see… Good. I’m glad… Ugh, I feel like a mess. Everything has changed these past few years, but I’m happy you’re still alive. I mean, we already lost Lady Aisa and Chris five years ago, and we really didn’t need to add your name to that list… Even if your hair has changed, you’re still the same person, and that’s what matters most.

_You ask Zelhira what she means._

**Zelhira:** It’s nothing. Forget I said anything. I hope you’re having a nice day now that we’re back at the monastery.

_You also encounter Miriam in the entrance hall. She wears a turquoise dress underneath plates of blue armor. Her waist bears a light blue sash, and two segments of fabric extend downwards to her knees. The Crest of Seiros is stitched in silver on the fabric. Her golden curls fall over her back, layered above her pink cape._

**Miriam:** I can’t say for sure what brought me back to the monastery… Perhaps it was fate, assuming you believe in things of that nature. Maybe fate was what brought you back from the maws of death… It seems as if we’re all just barely escaping… But barely breathing is still breathing at the end of the day.

_You walk towards the final person in the entrance hall, Piers. His black hair is left long and loose. He wears brown and white armor, though it has faded from use over the years. A knife is attached to his waistband in a small sheath._

**Piers:** This war has done nothing but take from us already… I’m going to put it to an end for the sake of all the people who have died. It’s the least I can do to honor the memories of those who are no longer here… It’s what they would want.

_You head into the knights’ hall next. There, You find Aestlyn and Falon deep in discussion._

**Aestlyn:** The Malice forces who are consolidating… This is an issue that’s been prominent for a while. It’s not new in the slightest. Magnolia mentioned it a few times when I was in the capital.

 **Falon:** You went back to Fhirdiad after the Battle of Garreg Mach… That’s right. I remember seeing you there a few times.

 **Aestlyn:** It’s not like I had anywhere else to go… There were no other options for me. I’ve lost everything, but I refuse to let this war take anything else.

 **Falon:** I’m sorry.

 **Aestlyn:**...Thank you, Falon.

_You also find Kaeta in the knights’ hall. Her hair is rather short, and half of it has been shaved off. She wears a white shirt with dark blue leggings black boots. Her gloves are turquoise, and a dark teal jacket is wrapped around her waist. A sword is attached to her belt, and the Crest of Seiros is stitched into the fabric on her right calf._

**Kaeta:** Long time no see, huh? It’s good to see you again after all this time. I’ve been training as much as possible to prepare for hopefully coming across you again, and it’s good to see my efforts weren’t in vain. I just hope you’re ready for whatever is going to come next. I know that I am!

 _You move to the stables next. Inside, You find Lev standing alone._ _His hair has become longer, and a green headband tied to the side holds it away from his face. He wears deep blue armor highlighted with silver and gold. The Crest of Daphnel is carved into a guard on his arm, and a green sash is tied around his waist._

 **Lev:** Professor! It’s so good to see you again. You have no idea how concerned all of us were… I was honestly convinced that the war had taken yet another innocent life. I… I’ve seen so many soldiers die in this conflict, and… I’m just glad that you weren’t one of them. Please do your best to stay safe… For all of us.

 _You move to the marketplace with your business in the stables finished. You approach Herwig upon arriving._ _He has a scar running from his cheek down to his neck now. He wears a white shirt beneath simple yet effective armor. He wears black trousers and leather boots as well. A sword is strapped to his hip._

 **Herwig:** Oh, Professor… After five years, everyone’s all grown up, and yet, you look nearly exactly the same. If not for the hair, it would appear as if you haven’t aged in the slightest… I suppose it’s comforting to see a reminder of the past in this hellish present. I’m glad to see you.

_You move to the dining hall next. You find Karim and Nora talking there._

**Karim:** We really don’t have as many provisions as I would have liked… Then again, I suppose the war is to blame for that.

 **Nora:** We’ll simply have to make do with what we have. I’m sure that we’ll be able to arrange everything so it works out in some way with a bit of effort.

 **Karim:** I’m going to take care of that as soon as possible. We don’t want to blow through our rations too quickly. That would be an upsetting way to fail.

 **Nora:** You can say that again…

 _You also find Jill in the dining hall. She_ _wears a blue jacket over a white shirt, and a brown satchel hangs over her shoulder. Potions overflow from the bag. She wears black legs and worn-down boots clearly intended for combat. A dagger is strapped to her leg, hiding within a deep purple sheath._

 **Jill:** I didn’t think that the reunion of the classes was even going to be happening given the situation, but I’m glad that I decided to check in. It’s not as if I had much else to do… Lots of people need medicine these days, but there’s only so much you can get done while wandering aimlessly. I think I’ll be far more productive here.

 _You walk towards the final person in the dining hall: Nesreen._ _She has taken to wearing her hair in a high ponytail. She wears a brown shirt that is cut low, and embellishments line the hem. Her shorts are brown and mostly hidden behind an orange skirt. An orange gem hangs from a chain around her neck. Her shoes are so worn out that You cannot help but wonder how they are still held together._

 **Nesreen:** Lady Aisa went missing after that last battle… I’ve been trying to figure out what happened to her for years. Others seem intent on believing that she died, but I’m not going to give up. There was no body found… There was no corpse from you either, and here you are. Can you blame me for being hopeful?

_You move towards the fishing hole area next. You find Illona standing on her own looking out over the docks._

**Illona:** I’ve spent the past few years working as a spy, you know. I’ve been trying to track down all the information that could possibly be helpful to ending the war, but that’s a lot easier to do than you would expect… What can I say? Times are hard, and information is somehow even more scarce than before…

_You head towards the greenhouse. There, You find Rodain. His hair is tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck. He wears black armor with white highlights. A red scarf is wrapped around his neck, and a navy cape trails behind him. Both the scarf and cape are heavily torn, barely being held together._

**Rodain:** We spent so much time searching for you… All the knights who stuck around for a while did. I was here for a while before leaving to go back home, but after how much we looked, I would have thought you dead. For once, I’m glad that I was wrong.

 _You move towards the second floor of dorms. There, You find Sofia._ _Her hair has grown longer and is tied back by a pink ribbon. She is wearing a white frilled shirt and dark trousers. She also wears brown boots with noticeable heels that give her a few extra inches of height. Her signature smile is on her lips._

 **Sofia:** You have no idea how happy I am to see you here, Professor! The continent has been in pure chaos these past few years, but… At least you’re still here. I’ve seen a lot of people lose their lives lately… It’s terrible. In a way, I’m almost glad you didn’t have to see how brutal everyone’s become.

_You head back downstairs and set your attention on the bottom floor of dorms. You find Wolfgang there. Her hair is now white and cut close to her face in a bob. Her body is muscular and toned, and scars riddle her skin. She wears a gray shirt with rolled-up sleeves and black trousers. Her shoes are dark and gleam in the limited light of the monastery._

**Wolfgang:** Would you look at that? Not only are you here, but you’re looking better than ever… Your hair sure has changed a lot though. I guess I’m not one to talk though. We’re going to have to discuss that later when you aren’t quite so busy. Let’s just say that we have a lot to talk about, Professor.

 _You find Florence further down the row of dorms._ _Her hair is tied into a braided bun that rests at the base of her neck. Her dress is a navy color, and she wears black tights beneath it. Silver armor dots her outfit, and a charm bracelet hangs from her wrist._

 **Florence:** Look at this place… It’s still the same monastery we knew so many years ago… And you’re the same professor as well. After so much panic and instability, it’s good to be able to root ourselves in something familiar. It’s such a relief, I must admit…

_You move to the training hall. Inside, You find Derric and Niko engaged in conversation. Derric’s hair has grown longer, and a red cape falls behind him. He wears armor that is mostly silver with highlights of gold and green. Shoulder guards rest on his upper arms, and both have the Crest of Dominic carved into them._

_Niko now wears a black coat that seems far too large for him. The fabric contains gold and silver designs. His shirt is yellow and blue, though it is partially hidden behind a white chest plate bearing the Crest of Indech. His trousers are black and rather baggy with leather boots. A satchel hangs from his shoulder containing a large number of books._

**Derric:** Who would have ever guessed that we’d find our way back here…?

 **Niko:** I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised… The best years of our lives were spent here.

 **Derric:** And then it all had to come crashing down at the very end… I wish things could have been different, but I suppose there’s no way to fix the past.

 **Niko:** All we can do is work towards the future being better. We can totally face whatever the world has to throw at us.

 **Derric:** I hope you’re right…

_You leave the training hall and find Wynne standing outside of it. He is wearing brown, blue, and green attire that You recognize vaguely as belonging to Almyran culture from your battles before the war’s beginning. Gauntlets are on his hands._

**Wynne:** Of all the people I thought I would see here, you most certainly were not at the top of the list… Still, I’m sure as hell not complaining. It’s good to see things go our way for the first time in ages. I’m glad that you’re still alive. Be sure not to croak anytime soon, alright?

_You move to the Officers Academy. There, You find Aquillus standing in the courtyard. His hair is tied into a ponytail at the back of his head. He wears a red shirt with white trousers beneath a black robe bearing the symbol of a double-headed eagle on the back. A golden locket hangs freely from his neck._

**Aquillus:** I shouldn’t even be here, but… I simply had to take the chance to see if you survived. Try to keep my involvement here quiet if possible, alright? I’ll explain everything later, but… I don’t have the time right now. Please understand.

_You find Callisto standing in the Black Eagles’ classroom. Her hair is tied into a low ponytail by a blue ribbon. She wears a dress with a blue bodice covered in silvery swirls. The dress’ sleeves are loose and made of a transparent white fabric. She wears white shorts underneath a skirt of the same color that flows gracefully behind her. Blue and purple swirls are stitched into the hem, and purple shoes with ribbons attached wrap around her feet._

**Callisto:** Professor… It’s so good to see you again. Look at how much we’ve all changed. I mean, the shift should be clear as day if you just stare for a moment… Even in the face of all this though, at least you’re back. That’s something I’m certainly willing to consider a victory.

_You decide to head down to Abyss next. First, You move towards the library. Inside, You find Gabriel. He is wearing a maroon cape over a black shirt. His pants are a blue color, and his boots are black and rather tall. Silver pads of armor rest on his shoulders and knees._

**Gabriel:** Hey… It’s been so long since you last came down here. Last we all heard, graduation went wrong, and then… Yeah, enough of that. We’re happy you’re safe. That’s the least that we can ask for given the hell that waits outside of Abyss. It’s something.

_You also find Ansel in the library. Rather than wearing a modified uniform like before, they now wear a simple brown vest over a white shirt. Their trousers are brown and rather basic, and red gauntlets can be seen on their hands._

**Ansel:** Hey… Are you real? I’ve seen this sort of thing over and over in my head for ages, but it never happens legitimately.

_You nod._

**Ansel:** I guess that counts for something. My wishes never speak back to me. Carry on as you were then. I’ll still be here.

_You go to the Wilting Rose Inn next. Inside, You find Saias. His armor is jet black, and he wears a helmet atop his head, though the visor has been pushed up to allow you to view his face. A green scarf is wrapped around his neck loosely._

**Saias:** It’s been so long since I’ve seen a new face down here… Far too long if you want my opinion. All of that aside, it’s good to see you again.

_You ask how he has been doing._

**Saias:** Alright, I suppose… Things have been a bit rough down here since Eli set off with Quinn a while back. Abyss is still recovering from losing him, but… If you were able to come back, I’m sure that they’ll do the same.

_You leave and head to Burrow Street. There, You cross paths with Ernst. He is wearing navy armor over an all-black outfit. His ensemble bears silvery highlights. His right arm is encased in a silvery gauntlet, and a short blue cape falls over his shoulder._

**Ernst:** A lot has happened since we last had the chance to speak, huh? The world has shifted, and then there’s your hair… The sudden change in color doesn’t seem natural, so perhaps I can study it when we get the chance… Ah, I shouldn’t let my curiosity get the better of me so soon. Forgive me.

_You go to Chrysalis Row and enter the boys’ room. You find Grey standing inside. He wears a black jacket with red highlights over a hooded gray shirt. His trousers are black to match his shoes, and a gray piece of fabric is wrapped around his waist._

**Grey:** Professor… It’s good to see you’re still alive. So much has changed since you were last down here, but I suppose that’s a given. So much can happen within the span of five years, especially when those years are spent at war. I guess we should be relieved you were even able to head back here… Small blessings, I suppose.

_You find Taiyin in the girls’ room nearby. She is wearing a green vest over a white shirt with gray pants that hang loosely around her thighs. Her boots are black with golden laces. Her hair is tied into a low ponytail by a green ribbon, and gray gloves obscure her hands from view._

**Taiyin:** Ack! I didn’t see you there… Wait… Professor? No, it can’t be you… This is all ridiculous. I was so sure that you had died, but… I guess that life does throw unexpected twists at you from time to time, so I really shouldn’t be all that shocked. Oh, well. Still, it’s good to see you.

_Next, You move to the Ashen Wolves’ classroom. There, You cross paths with Magnus. His hair has grown much longer, and he wears a pitch-black cape over his shoulders. His clothing beneath is purple and black, seeming to resemble a physical fighter more than his previous ensemble._

**Magnus:** You’ve returned… I wasn't sure if buying into the rumors was a good idea, but I guess I should have known better than to doubt myself… Everything fell apart after you left, but at least you’re back. Maybe we can finally put things back together again.

_Finally, You go to the Pagan Altar. You find Tsubasa there. She is wearing the same purple scarf as before, though it has grown worn over the years. A bandanna of the same color ties back her hair. Her sleeveless black shirt matches the color of her leggings. She has tall white fingerless gloves on, and her boots are deep purple. A knife is strapped to her upper leg._

**Tsubasa:** Who would have guessed that we’d see someone like you here again? I know I certainly didn’t see that coming, but to be fair… It’s not like any of us could have predicted it. Life is hard to judge at this point. There’s only one constant: death. It’s merciless, and it follows you everywhere.

 _With your business in Abyss finished, You head to the second floor of the monastery. You find William standing in the audience chamber._ _His hair bears more spikes than You remember it having. He wears a silver breastplate over a yellow jacket with no sleeves. The Crest of Maurice is embroidered into the back. His gray trousers have a golden pattern of tilted squares, and he wears boots that reach his ankles._

 **William:** Professor! It’s nice to see that you’re here again. I feel like it goes unspoken that all of us assumed the worst when we couldn’t find you after the last battle, but… I guess this just goes to show you that you shouldn’t believe everything at face value. It’s good to have you back.

 _You also find Adeline in the audience chamber._ _Her hair is halfway tied into a bun with a notable purple feather sticking out of it. She wears a dress with a black bodice and a purple skirt. Her tights are white, the same color as her gloves, and her shoes are a dark purple hue._

 **Adeline:** I don’t know what possessed me to come back here… I guess I’ve been sort of craving the good times that came with the monastery ever since we had to leave. You were responsible for all of that, so I’m glad that we’re able to see each other again. Be sure to stay safe out there, okay?

 _You move to the commons room next. There, You find Tuncay._ _They are wearing armor known for belonging to the Imperial army. The armor itself is silver with red highlights. A shield can be seen hanging from their arm, and a red band wraps around their waist. Upon closer examination, You see that the names Adil, Umut, and Ayberk are carved into the fabric._

 **Tuncay:** The Battle of Garreg Mach took countless lives years ago… First it was the archbishop, and then Chess… I’m just glad you weren’t counted among the ranks of the dead. Maybe we’re all finally catching a break after all this time. It’s good to have you back at long last.

_Finally, You stop at the cardinals’ room where Magnolia and Luciana stand together over a map of Faerghus._

**Magnolia:** The previous patterns have placed their target as being about here, so I think we should march through there.

 **Luciana:** After that, we can march towards the current destination of our enemies. It seems to me like something big is happening there.

 **Magnolia:** Either that or somebody in particular is causing problems in that region… We’ll simply have to see.

 **Luciana:** Hello, Professor. We’re still drafting a plan for the coming fight, but I promise that we won’t disappoint.

 **Magnolia:** It’s good to see you making the rounds through the monastery, especially after you were inactive for so long. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next for us.

 **Luciana:** I feel the same. I’m sure that we’ll be capable of great things together.

_Your conversation with Magnolia and Luciana ends there. You move back to your old room, and a sigh leaves your lips. Between the cleanup and your exploration of the monastery, You have grown rather tired. You sit on your bed after shutting the door._

**Seraphine:** I’m glad to see that some of the students kept the promise we made five years ago… I’m glad we were able to make it, even if they assumed us dead the past half-decade. It’s something, I guess… I wish everyone was here, but I suppose that’s simply not possible. All we can do now is sleep. I get the feeling you’re exhausted anyways.

_You nod and lay down on the bed. You think of all that has happened over the past five years and how much everyone’s lives have changed. You vow to finish the war that has caused so much grief as soon as You get the chance to do so for the people who are no longer alive to see the fighting end. Exhaustion claims You quickly, and You drift into a dreamless slumber…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was asleep for like half the day but the update is here so woo
> 
> -Digital


	3. Chapter Fourteen: First Strike II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and the Blue Lions make your first move in Faerghus lands.

_On the day of the mission, You wake up and make your way to the cardinals’ room. On your way, Seraphine speaks to You._

**Seraphine:** Well, the time has come… It seems as if we’re going to have to do everything in our power to take out the Malice forces that have been consolidating in Faerghus. I have a bad feeling about all of this. Why would they be moving on that one spot all of a sudden? Well, this isn’t a new thing as far as I can tell… The way that Magnolia and Luciana were talking makes it seem to me that this has been happening for a while, but we’re only just now starting to do something about it. I guess there’s no time quite like the present, huh?

_You nod your agreement._

**Seraphine:** I’m sure that you’ll be able to take care of it though. I have nothing but full confidence in you. Let’s see what they have in store for us.

_You arrive at the cardinals’ room as Serpahine stops speaking to You. The Blue Lions are already gathered inside alongside Reese and Luciana._

**Luciana:** It’s good to see you here, Professor. We were just getting ready to explain our strategy for the coming fight.

 **Magnolia:** Look at this portion of the map. This is where the forces have been going recently, though they’ve been congregating in a region about a mile in every direction from this point in the past few years. If you want my opinion, that’s a clear sign that they’re looking for something that’s around here.

 **Reese:** I’m inclined to agree… I suppose that we aren’t going to be able to figure out what it is they’re after until we arrive though.

 **Illona:** I’ve been trying to see if I can learn anything else more than just that they’re looking for something, but I haven’t found anything of note.

 **Nora:** I haven’t either. As much as I hate to say it, we’re not going to be able to know what’s going on until after we’ve already arrived at the scene.

 **Kyle:** In that case, I see no reason for us to continue standing around here. That spot isn’t too far from the monastery, so we should just get on with it.

 **Karim:** You sure are excited to get up and at ‘em, Kyle… Though I suppose I can’t really blame you. I’m hoping to do much the same thing.

 **Aestlyn:** I’m sure that we’re going to figure out what it is they want after we get there, but for now, all we can really do is get out of here to take care of business.

 **Cassia:** You’re right. With that said, let’s go on and see what the mission has in store for us. Preparations for the coming battle have already been completed.

 **Falon:** That’s good to hear. If there are no further objections, then we should go on and take care of things. There’s no reason to stand around here longer than we already have.

_The Blue Lions leave the cardinals’ room, and You trail after them, wondering what it is that your foes could possibly be after._

_A few hours later, You arrive at the scene of the enemy’s curiosity. It’s a rather large plain within Faerghus not far from the monastery. You can see that there is snow capping the trees in the horizon, and the weather has dropped to be far below what You are used to._

**Luciana:** This is the spot that they’ve been investigating for quite some time, though I’m afraid that we aren’t sure of what could have them so curious about this space.

 **Aestlyn:** That’s probably part of the point. I’m positive that we’ll figure it out soon enough anyways. That’s how these sorts of things tend to go.

 **Magnolia:** If you want my opinion, there’s either an object of significance here or a general for Malice hiding in this region.

 **Kyle:** But nobody has said that they’ve found anything suspicious in the area as of late. Illona said as much herself when we first planned to set out.

 **Reese:** Still, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing. There are some things that can very easily slip between the cracks at a first glance that wind up being important later.

 **Karim:** We’re just going to have to check… Hang on a moment. Look over there. I can see some figures moving around in the distance.

 **Nora:** I see what you’re talking about… If you ask me, that has to be Malice. Who else would be doing that sort of thing around here?

 **Cassia:** I suppose that you’re right… We’re going to have to fight our way through them before we can start our investigation of the area in full, though I guess that this is nothing too surprising.

 **Illona:** If it’s a fight they want, then that’s exactly what they’re going to get. We have to figure out what has them so intrigued by this particular area so that we can unravel their full plans.

 **Falon:** I agree. We know too little about their overall aim right now, so we’re going to have to play our cards right.

 **Magnolia:** I’m glad that we’re all in agreement here. If there are no further objections, then get ready for the fight to come. There’s not a reason to wait, and we have work to finish as soon as possible!

_The battle begins properly. Your objective is to rout the enemy so that your forces can investigate the area to see what has the Malice forces so curious about it. You can see many enemies in dark armor swarming the area, and they continue to appear quite often. You believe that the best course of action would be to play the defensive card until the tides of the battle have been shifted sufficiently._

_The Blue Lions fight with incredible passion, and You find yourself incredibly proud of all that they have accomplished. In the five years since You last saw them, they have all grown to be far stronger fighters, and while You knew such during the battle against the thieves, it is different to see it in practice once again. With them at your side, You are able to shift the fight into your advantage._

_The enemy is defeated soon afterwards. You stand with the Blue Lions at the center of the field._

**Magnolia:** Well… I suppose that takes care of that.

 **Reese:** I didn’t see anyone of particular significance while we were here.

 **Kyle:** It was always so easy to tell apart the generals of Malice from the regular fighters…

 **Aestlyn:** And yet, there was nobody here that seemed to be too notable.

 **Cassia:** That’s fine. It means that they were easier to get rid of, and we can start our investigation now.

 **Karim:** Hm… I wonder if there’s really something that they want around here…

 **Illona:** It appears to be the only possibility, but I don’t have the slightest clue as to what it could be.

 **Falon:** Something about this field seems weird… I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t recognize this place at all.

 **Nora:** Come to think of it, I don’t either. I’ve lived in Faerghus for as long as I can remember, but this isn’t anywhere I would recognize.

 **Luciana:** You’re right. Even if we saw it on the map, it’s nothing like what I expected it to be. Perhaps something happened to change the landscape significantly within the past few years.

 **Illona:** Hang on a moment… Do you guys remember a few years ago when we had to investigate a few different locations? There were some places that were hidden in tunnels underneath the ground.

 **Magnolia:** That’s right! Perhaps there’s an entrance to something around here… I don’t know how easily we’re going to be able to find it, but we can at least conduct a search.

 **Reese:** As much as I hate to say it, I don’t think we’re going to be able to press on and finish our investigation today. We fought a long battle, and we have no idea what we’re going to be finding in this area.

 **Kyle:** Perhaps it would be advisable for us to leave behind a few Faerghus troops to investigate the area and set up a perimeter so that the Malice forces can’t return here.

 **Luciana:** I agree. I’ll set up a small battalion to search and report back to us as soon as they’ve found something that we can use to track the Malice generals roaming in this region.

 **Nora:** If that’s the case, then I suppose that there’s nothing more we can do here. We got what we wanted, and we’re going to be able to reap the rewards as soon as possible when the report comes back.

 **Cassia:** I was hoping for us to get a bit more done on this outing, but if there really is a Malice general here, then we’re tragically unprepared for the coming encounter. There’s nothing we’ll be able to do to change such a fact.

 **Karim:** Seeing so many troops without a leader makes it seem as if that’s the case… We’re just going to have to wait it out and restore our energy until we’re ready to charge through.

 **Falon:** We might not have enough information quite yet, but we should hopefully have cornered the general and left them with no way to escape. Faerghus troops will be able to take care of that while we’re back at the monastery recovering from this fight.

 **Aestlyn:** I guess that’s been settled then… It’s time for us to head back to the monastery while we wait to see what’s going to happen next here. Here’s to hoping this winds up going somewhere.

 **Magnolia:** Even if it seems pointless now, this is a stepping stone for us to reach other areas in Faerghus. We have to make a new advantageous route since we’re no longer operating out of Fhirdiad, and this seems as good a place to start as any. Malice forces likely cleared it out so that they could use it as an entrance for their tunnels, and having this as a stronghold so early into our new charge is going to make waves in our enemy’s morale. Let’s use this for the time being and get ready for the moment when we’ll be able to properly press forward and defeat the Malice enemies that have been plaguing us for so many years.

_You watch as the rest of the group begins the journey back home. You hear Seraphine’s voice in the back of your head as You follow them._

**Seraphine:** I’m glad that everything is sort of going back to normal… Well, I don’t think there was ever a normal given that back then, we were still leading up to a war, but… Oh, you know what I’m talking about. We still fight like a well-oiled machine. Honestly, it’s like you never stopped.

_You say that You wonder if time stopped for You during the five years._

**Seraphine:** Honestly… That wouldn’t be too drastic a conclusion. Divine Pulse must have stopped the flow of time, but instead of allowing you to change things, you internalized its power. I suppose it was because of the circumstances.

_You nod and agree that is a logical conclusion._

**Seraphine:** Still, I suppose we have no way of saying for sure. There’s a lot on our plate already, and I don’t know if we should push to learn more about things we have no way of understanding just yet. Maybe we can save that for further down the road. For the time being, let’s head back to the monastery with the others.

_You nod once again before following the Blue Lions back to the monastery._

_When You arrive back at the monastery, You stand with the Blue Lions in the cardinals’ room._

**Magnolia:** That should be the end of that… Well, at least for the time being we’re finished with that area.

 **Luciana:** Faerghus troops are already stationed in the area to tell us when something changes. We’ll be sure to keep it in mind.

 **Kyle:** I hope that we’ll be able to check out that area next time we set out. I’m already curious about what could be waiting for us there.

 **Cassia:** If we don’t go there, I honestly don’t know what we’re going to do. There aren’t any easy territories for us to access that are also occupied by Malice.

 **Reese:** We’ll focus on expanding our reach outward first. Besides, I have full confidence that something will come up for us to take care of sooner or later.

 **Nora:** Given that the past few years have been damn near nonstop action on the part of our enemies, that’s certainly something we can count on.

 **Aestlyn:** Until then, let’s just take a step back and try to relax after all that. Even if we accomplished something big here today, we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us.

 **Illona:** You can say that again. Undoing a war that’s been raging for the past five years isn’t exactly something I’d call easy.

 **Falon:** But we’re going to figure out a way to make this all stop. That’s the whole reason that we’re here together.

 **Karim:** If there’s nothing else for us to take care of, let’s finish wrapping things up from the fight and organize our unused supplies. After all, there’s still a lot to come.

 **Magnolia:** I agree completely. Be sure to stay safe, all of you. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you while we’re trying to change things for the better. I’m counting on you to stay alive and healthy. For the sake of us all… Live. Consider that an order.

_At Magnolia’s words, the group disbands. You hear Seraphine speaking in the back of your mind as You leave the cardinals’ room._

**Seraphine:** Magnolia is acting different from before… Wouldn’t you agree? Something about her seems darker somehow. I know that she’s been on the throne, so that’s only natural, but… I don’t know. Magnolia was always so open and sincere before. Now, she’s almost become detached, and… I can’t help but wonder if there’s a reason for it.

_You nod and say that You noticed the same thing._

**Seraphine:** I guess all we can really do is keep an eye on her and make sure that this doesn’t happen again… That’s a good place to start, at the very least.

_As You walk past the room, You look to the audience chamber, eyeing the empty space where Aisa and Roy used to stand during the academy days._

**Seraphine:**...This is one of the first official missions where you aren’t reporting back to Aisa and Roy.

_You nod._

**Seraphine:** I wonder how he’s doing… If Aisa is really gone, what did he make of himself?

_You shake your head, not sure of how to answer her question._

**Seraphine:** None of this feels real, honestly… I mean, we got so used to seeing her face here, but now it’s gone… And she’s not the only person we haven’t seen since coming back. We’re never going to get to see her again though, and… It hurts.

_You say that You feel the same way, wishing You had simply gotten the closure You desire now._

**Seraphine:** I understand that completely… But I guess now isn’t the time to be thinking about the past. Magnolia and the Blue Lions need us for the present and the future.

_You nod your understanding and move back to your room for the night. You approach an old mirror that sat on your desk throughout the years and rub the dust away from its surface, looking at your unfamiliar reflection with a frown. You set it down after spending quite a while examining the face You know to be yours despite it seeming so distant and unreal. You walk to your bed and go to sleep as quickly as possible, visions of the past dancing behind your eyes as the gravity of the war fully catches up to You…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter fourteen done!
> 
> -Digital


	4. Chapter Fifteen: Disciple of Damnation I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You explore the monastery after hearing that You plan to press on through Faerghus in the next mission.

_When the next moon begins, You wake up and start to move to the cardinals’ room. When You arrive, the Blue Lions are already gathered inside._

**Magnolia:** It’s good to see you, Professor. We were just about to discuss our mission for the coming month.

 **Luciana:** A report has come back from the soldiers that were left behind to investigate the scene of the field that we charged through in our last battle. If everyone is ready, I think we’re ready to share our findings.

 **Falon:** Judging by the look on your face, I’m willing to hazard a guess that we found more than we bargained for.

 **Magnolia:** You could certainly say that. We found out that there was indeed an entrance to a set of underground tunnels beneath the ground of the field where our last battle was held, but we haven’t been able to move closer quite yet.

 **Aestlyn:** I understand… It’s best to not take a risk like that for the time being. We don’t know what’s waiting there, after all.

 **Kyle:** If there’s really a Malice general somewhere beneath the ground, they’re going to have to come out sooner or later.

 **Luciana:** As of now, we actually don’t know if anybody is hiding there… Perhaps there were simply plans to move to the location in question. We aren’t going to be sure until after a bit more work is done to investigate the scene.

 **Karim:** So… What I’m hearing right now is that we still don’t know anywhere near as much as we’re going to need to be aware of in order to charge the place.

 **Nora:** While we’re waiting on the next string of information, then we’ll just do everything we can to get ready for the fight at hand then. We’ll have to charge into combat one of these days.

 **Reese:** We can totally do that… Though I do have to admit that I’m curious about what we’re going to wind up finding when the time to investigate does arrive.

 **Cassia:** I already have a bad feeling about it… You can call me paranoid all you want, but there’s clearly something strange about this area that we’ve stumbled upon.

 **Illona:** You know, it almost felt familiar to me… I know that’s a weird thing to say, but… I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to think about it more in the future.

 **Magnolia:** For now, we’re going to focus our attention on continuing the investigation. We’re going to have to keep fighting soon enough, but we should take a break while we can.

 **Luciana:** This battlefield is a stepping stone to our next destination. We’re going to start mapping out the best route through the territories of Faerghus that will net us the best results in reclaiming the country. After we’ve figured that out, we’ll know where our attention would be best spent, and that should make the next step of the war far easier to carry out.

 **Magnolia:** I don’t think that there’s really much of anything else for us to talk about for the time being though. We’re just going to have to see what comes next in our investigation, I suppose. I’ll talk to you all another time.

_As the Blue Lions begin to leave behind the cardinals’ room, You decide to linger for a short while longer. You manage to catch Magnolia alone after Luciana departs, and You ask her if there is something wrong._

**Magnolia:** Something… Wrong? I don’t think I would say so. Why do you ask?

_You say that something about her has simply seemed different since the group first came back together._

**Magnolia:** Ah… I see. I understand that the sudden change must be rather jarring to you. Everyone else has been at least somewhat aware of what has taken place in Faerghus, though I suppose that doesn’t apply to you.

_You ask her what has been happening._

**Magnolia:** I… I believe it’s a story that would be best shared another time. Let’s just say that everything has changed, and I’m doing what I can to adapt along with the rest of the world… Though it would perhaps be more accurate to say that I’m forcing the world to adapt whether it wants to or not. The point is that I’m getting things done, and for right now… For the time being, that’s more than enough.

_You nod slowly._

**Magnolia:** We can discuss this again in the future. For right now, I think that we both have more important things to focus on. I’ll be looking forward to speaking with you again, Professor.

_You leave the cardinals’ room carefully as Seraphine speaks to You._

**Seraphine:** It seems to me like something big happened while we were gone… But it’s something that everybody else has already forgotten about or doesn’t want to discuss it. Given that nobody has mentioned it yet, chances are that it happened a while ago. Either that or they simply don’t want to bring it up. I don’t know for sure, but I have a bad feeling about all of this… I guess all we can do is be patient for now and discuss this later when she’s ready to talk.

_You nod your agreement and head back to your room before beginning your exploration of the monastery. You start by moving towards the Officers Academy, and You find Wolfgang standing alone in the courtyard there._

**Wolfgang:** It’s so strange to think that our old stomping grounds have devolved into something so… Empty. We don’t have much of a reason to come into the classrooms these days, but it’s weird that this part of the monastery has just been ignored. On the other hand… Maybe that’s for the best.

_You find Zelhira standing in the Black Eagles classroom._

**Zelhira:** Even after all this time, it’s like this place is still a snapshot of how we left it. Back when we were last here, we were getting ready for our graduation. The last few sets of classes were taking place, and… All of the books are still here where we left them. I set this one down here right before the war started, and it’s still where I left it. How strange to think of.

_You move to the training hall next. Inside, You find Kaeta._

**Kaeta:** I don’t know what sort of enemies we’re going to wind up fighting in this next fight, but I’m determined to find a way to win! The war has been so dreary, though I suppose that is just the nature of war. It’s unfortunate, but I want to find a way to turn it around. I think we could all use something like that.

_You also find Wynne in the training hall._

**Wynne:** It’s kind of ironic how all of us have spent the past five years absolutely dreading the presence of Malice, and now, we’re almost happy to see that their forces are gathered together somewhere. We’re upset that they aren’t doing what we expected. It’s funny, but… Not exactly in the funny way.

_You start to move down the bottom row of dorms next. There, You find Cassia and Falon engaged in conversation._

**Cassia:** The tunnels beneath the ground… They remind me a bit too much of Evenor.

 **Falon:** I feel the same way. The only times that we’ve found any underground tunnels, they were somehow tied in with the Crest experimentation.

 **Cassia:** She’s been missing for the past five years, but maybe she has something to do with this… It wouldn’t surprise me.

 **Falon:** She never seemed affiliated with Malice before, but these days… Who can say?

_You also find Florence standing on the bottom row of dorms._

**Florence:** I don’t know if this is just an issue for me, but… Everything that we’ve learned about in the past few weeks has really reminded me of the tunnels beneath the monastery. I’m hoping that it’s nothing like that, but knowing our luck, that’s exactly how it’s going to end… Please don’t tell me anybody else was hurt.

_You move to the second floor of dorm rooms briefly and find Karim and Aestlyn engaged in conversation._

**Karim:** Malice’s soldiers have been a real thorn in all of our sides for ages now… It’s nice that we’re finally back together so that we can stand up to them.

 **Aestlyn:** This is what all of us needed whether we choose to admit it or not… I’ve been wanting this for a long time.

 **Karim:** Me too. I missed all of you. I want to go back to old times, but since that’s not an option, we’ll just have to make the most out of what we’ve got.

 **Aestlyn:** Yeah… Imagine if we could travel back in time… Sure would be a magical feeling, huh?

_You head back downstairs and enter the greenhouse. There, You find Lev standing alone._

**Lev:** I’ve been hearing more from the Alliance in the past few days. Raithius and Novalee are still charging right through all of the Malice forces that come their way. I don’t think they’ve made too much progress, but the idea that they could do anything has got to be scary enough for our enemies.

_You move to the fishing hole next. You see a few people scattered about, and the first of them is Herwig._

**Herwig:** I think that we’re going to need to start searching for supplies soon. The war has brought a lot of key industries down, and prices are starting to rise. Maybe we’ll be able to figure out something when we take out the next group of Malice forces… That’s what I’m hoping for.

_You also find Cedric standing on the dock._

**Cedric:** I still don’t feel like this is entirely real. We’ve been here for a moon now, but I can’t seem to ram it into my head that this is actually happening and not a dream. Maybe I was hoping for us all to reunite more than I initially thought… Regardless, it’s nice that we’re all here again.

_Near the entrance to the dining hall, You cross paths with Niko and Nesreen._

**Niko:** I know that you’ve been doing a lot of miscellaneous spy work in the past few years. Do you think you know anything that could help us with the coming mission?

 **Nesreen:** I’m afraid not. The closest thing that could relate has to do with Evenor Hepius, but tracking her has been impressively difficult. It’s like she’s vanished off the face of the planet.

 **Niko:** I suppose that’s not too surprising, but… Oh, I don’t like the sound of that at all. She has to be somewhere out there…

 **Nesreen:** And wherever she is, she’s causing problems for us somehow. That much I’m sure of. We have to catch her as soon as possible and figure out what’s going on.

_Inside the dining hall, You find yet another cluster of figures. First, You approach Callisto._

**Callisto:** It’s impressive to me how quickly the monastery was able to clean up after we all first started to gather here. I would have expected it to take far longer, but everything seems to be in working condition already. We’re all soldiers, but maybe we could make some extra money fixing things too… I’m kidding, I’m kidding. No need to look so frightened of the idea.

_Next, You walk up to Kyle and Nora._

**Kyle:** You know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about that strange man that we saw with Evenor five years ago.

 **Nora:** Hm… I almost forgot about him.

 **Kyle:** He disappeared as soon as we started to fight with the victims of experimentation, but we never found him again.

 **Nora:** I don’t know how he factors in with all of this, but he has to be out there somewhere, especially given that he escaped during our first fight against him. All we have to do is find a way to track him down.

 **Kyle:** It’s too bad that’s easier said than done…

_You approach Adrian once You are finished speaking with Kyle and Nora._

**Adrian:** The Empire’s recent struggles have apparently been having a large impact on both Brigid and Dagda. It doesn’t surprise me given how close they are in proximity, but it’s incredibly unfortunate… I can’t help but wonder what the new emperor is even up to these days… You know, aside from fanning the flames of war.

_Last, You approach Piers._

**Piers:** It seems like most nations are split down the middle for if they’re involved with Malice or not. All of this is a mass coup to try and get rid of the current sources of power. I don’t know who in the world would want to cause all of this, but I’m positive those people exist. Finding them is the hard part.

_You decide to travel to the marketplace next. There, You find Tuncay._

**Tuncay:** Getting together supplies from the forge is far harder than I remember because of the war… But I’m still finding a way to make it work. Making weapons always helps to take the edge off, and I think that’s what we all need right now. Plus, I think it’s cheaper than buying them elsewhere, so that’s an added bonus.

_You move to the entrance hall. Inside, You find Reese speaking with Derric._

**Reese:** All of this is so exhausting to put up with… I was hoping to have a bit of time off, but it seems that wasn’t meant to be.

 **Derric:** If you ask me, none of us have had a chance to rest since the fighting first started five years ago.

 **Reese:** I’d argue it’s been longer than that… The world was just better at hiding the conflicts back then.

 **Derric:** Yeah… A lot of people were good at hiding things in those days.

_You also find Yuliya in the entrance hall._

**Yuliya:** Lots of awful things have been happening in Faerghus lately… I don’t have much sympathy given the fact that it’s Faerghus that’s responsible, but it’s bad for Magnolia. She has to try and keep all of that held together in times of war. She doesn’t have an easy job, to say the least.

_You walk to the reception hall next. There, You find Illona and Luciana engaged in conversation._

**Illona:** Hey, Luciana… Not to intrude or anything, but have you noticed that Magnolia has seemed… Off lately?

 **Luciana:** Magnolia has… I’ll just say that she’s been through a lot in the past five years, though I suspect that you’ve heard about it.

 **Illona:** That’s exactly the point I’m trying to make here. I have heard about it, and that’s why I’m worried.

 **Luciana:** Well… You aren’t the only one.

_You also find Grey in the reception hall._

**Grey:** With all of you coming back to the monastery, people from Abyss feel safer traveling above ground. Of course, there are still some people who are too nervous to try it, but the option is there. That’s more than we could have said in the past five years, so it’s some progress at least.

_Last, You cross paths with Sofia._

**Sofia:** Raithius and Novalee have been doing their best to keep the Alliance from falling apart these days. I heard that they’re even planning on starting an assault on some of the treacherous territories… Huh. Imagine that.

_You move to the cathedral next. On the bridge there, You see William standing by himself._

**William:** As strange as it is to say, I don’t think I’ve seen so many people gathered together and happy like this in a long time. Sure, we were brought together by unfortunate circumstances, but we’re all here, and that’s what matters. Times are tough, after all.

_You find Saias in the cathedral as well._

**Saias:** I haven’t bothered to come up here in a long time… Heading into the monastery was too dangerous as long as all those thieves were roaming about, so I stayed in Abyss. The place has cleaned up surprisingly well… Though I suppose we have you to thank for that.

_Finally, You see Ernst in the cathedral near the pile of debris at the back of the room._

**Ernst:** The monastery is impressively intact after all this time. When I heard of bandits moving in, I feared that its lengthy history would be lost, and yet, most of the important regions were primarily untouched. It is only by luck that this place managed to survive.

_You decide to go to Abyss next. You move to the library first when You arrive, and You find Magnus there._

**Magnus:** There’s been lots of shuffling between Abyss and the surface as of late. New people are moving in or out now that it’s safe to depart. I don’t know why any of them think motion is a good idea. We’re still in the middle of a war. There’s no time to rest.

_You go to the Wilting Rose Inn next. There, You find Gabriel._

**Gabriel:** I’ve been wanting to head up to the surface to investigate the monastery for a while, but… I still don’t think I can risk it. I don’t want to check it out unless I absolutely have to leave Abyss. The risks are just too great, and I know better than to step on those lines unnecessarily.

_You make your way to Burrow Street. There, You see Taiyin._

**Taiyin:** Seeing everybody come back to the monastery is still strange for me. I know it’s been a month already, but… I don’t know. I got so used to not seeing everyone that it’s weird to have them here again. I’m not complaining, but it’s still odd.

_You head to Chrysalis Row, and You find Tsubasa there._

**Tsubasa:** Eli and Quinn left Abyss a few months ago to travel the continent. They’ve been too busy to return as far as I can tell. I believe they’re trying to find more information regarding the attackers who attempted to invade Abyss five years ago, but who can say for sure?

_Finally, You make your way to the classroom of the Ashen Wolves. There, You cross paths with Ansel._

**Ansel:** There hasn’t been another class of Ashen Wolves in the past five years. Some were expecting it to become a tradition, but I suppose the war prevented that. What can you do? None of us could have seen this coming, so I guess we just have to roll with it.

_You move to the second floor of the monastery. You head to the audience chamber and see Hegias standing inside._

**Hegias:** Coming in here when Lady Aisa and Roy aren’t here is still strange to me. I wouldn’t say that I was ever particularly close with them, but it’s still unfortunate that they can’t be here anymore… And I don’t think they ever will be again…

_You also find Miriam in the audience chamber._

**Miriam:** The most recent battle was just the beginning. We’re attempting to end a war that has been raging mercilessly for the past five years. It isn’t going to be easy, but I commend you for trying. It’s all that we have at this point.

_You move to Jill’s room next, and You find her inside._

**Jill:** I’ve been rather curious about what happened to Janae McCreary after we were separated from her in the Battle of Garreg Mach. She’s been missing ever since, and I wonder who could have taken her from the monastery… Somebody must have.

_You decide to explore the third floor of the monastery. There, You see Adeline standing alone in the garden._

**Adeline:** I didn’t realize that there was anything up here… Well, I knew that there was a third floor, but I didn’t expect it to be so bright and cheerful, especially given that the rest of the monastery feels… I don’t know… Lifeless.

_You head back down to the second floor and make your way to the library. You find Aquillus inside._

**Aquillus:** The monastery’s library seems to have been untouched in the past five years. I spoke with Niko to make sure, and he agreed with me on the matter. Thank the goddess that the thieves didn’t destroy any of the precious volumes found in here… Most of them are one of a kind.

_Next, You move to the commons room. You find Rodain there._

**Rodain:** Up until recently, I was working with Captain Torryn to try and track down Lady Aisa. Captain Torryn is determined that Lady Aisa is still alive, and she’s been searching feverishly ever since the last battle. I’m hoping for the same thing, but… I guess there’s no way to say for sure yet.

_Finally, You make your way to the cardinals’ room where Magnolia can be found._

**Magnolia:** The plans for the coming battle are going swimmingly… Professor, you can stop looking at me like that. I already told you that there’s nothing to be concerned over. Besides, we have more important subjects to dwell on than the past. The battle at hand isn’t going to wait for us, after all.

_With your exploration of the monastery finished, You decide to return to your room. Seraphine speaks to You on the way there._

**Seraphine:** I still think that something is off about Magnolia… If she doesn’t want to talk to us about it yet, then we’re just going to have to force it out of her. I don’t like the idea of getting too overly pushy, but it’s not like we have much of a choice at this point. I just want to be able to help her…

_You nod your agreement as her voice vanishes from your mind. You settle down for the night, and your thoughts wander to the mission for the month. You wonder if perhaps there is something that You can do to make this war easier on Magnolia given how stressed she seems to be. You find yourself curious on the subject of the coming battle as well, and You hope that there are no significant issues that arise as a result of what is to come. When You fall into slumber, it is restless and weary, and your thoughts never seem to leave the strange shift of behavior that has befallen Magnolia since You were last her companion…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates good!
> 
> -Digital


	5. Chapter Fifteen: Disciple of Damnation II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You set out for the moon's mission, crossing paths with a figure from the past along the way.

_When the day of the mission arrives, You wake up and move towards the cardinals’ room. Seraphine speaks to You along the way._

**Seraphine:** I suppose that we’re going to be marching out for the underground tunnels now… That at least implies that something was uncovered, and I think that’s already a good thing to hear about.

_You nod your agreement._

**Seraphine:** I’m not looking forward to potentially having to travel underground though… I don’t think that I’m a huge fan of tunnels beneath the surface of the earth, but I suppose that nobody really is… Whatever. We’ll find a way to power through it.

_You arrive at the cardinals’ room, and Seraphine falls silent._

**Reese:** There you are. Now that we’re all here, it’s time for us to hear that update on the status of the coming fight.

 **Magnolia:** Perfect. We discovered that there are in fact a few Malice troops in the area, and they all appeared to be converging on a single point… And said point happens to lead to an underground set of tunnels.

 **Luciana:** We aren’t sure of who’s waiting underground, but we have received reports that the stench of blood is incredibly strong even from the entrance of the cave. That… That isn’t a promising thing to hear back, but we must investigate in case something important is waiting there.

 **Illona:** Oh, I don’t like this already… Underground tunnels that smell like blood? That’s definitely uncomfortable. I haven’t heard about anything this shady in a long time.

 **Kyle:** Still, if nobody else is going to check it out, the duty falls to us. I’m curious as to what could possibly be there, but I know that we’re going to have to be careful.

 **Karim:** We’ll look out for each other to make sure that nothing too bad happens. From there, we’ll think about what our next move should be.

 **Falon:** Perfect. It seems that we’re all in agreement of what’s to come then. Creepy crawl spaces be damned because we’re going to find the truth of what’s going on there.

 **Aestlyn:** You all sure are confident about this… But I guess that there’s nothing we can do about it now. You’re right in that we need to check it out.

 **Nora:** I think that we should simply go on and get it over with. The sooner that we gather the information, the better.

 **Cassia:** I agree. For the time being, I see no further reason to remain here, so we might as well move out.

 **Magnolia:** Perfect. In that case, let’s get going.

_The Blue Lions leave the room behind, but You stay for a moment longer to speak with Magnolia. You question her as to if anything is on her mind._

**Magnolia:** I’ve been thinking a lot, I suppose you could say… Something about all of this feels familiar to me, but I wouldn’t argue that it’s positive at all. For now, let’s just take care of this as soon as possible. I don’t like the idea of crawling around underground any more than we have to, so let’s get it out of the way.

_You watch as Magnolia leaves, and You hear Seraphine speak to You once again._

**Seraphine:** She’s being pretty stubborn about all of this… I don’t know what I expected, but I guess I was hoping that she’d be a bit more forthcoming with all of this information… I suppose that all we can do for now is just wait and see how this unfolds.

_You nod, and You begin to make your way to the front of the monastery for the coming travels._

_A few hours later, You find yourself back in the same field from the month before, and You see that the area is mostly the same as it was after the battle. However, there are Faerghus troops stationed around an area between two trees, and Magnolia approaches the region._

**Magnolia:** This should be it. Come on, everyone.

_A pair of soldiers on either side of the trees reach down to the ground and reveal a hidden passageway beneath the surface. A grand set of stairs reveals itself to You, and Magnolia gestures for the group to follow her before moving down._

**Aestlyn:** I really don’t like this… If you ask me, we’re just asking for something to pop out at us at any moment.

 **Nora:** I can already smell the blood from here… But the area is well-lit, so that leads me to believe that there’s something here.

 **Karim:** You’re right. There wouldn’t be so many lit torches if this place had been abandoned ages ago.

 **Reese:** Given the fact that nobody has been seen leaving or entering this area, I think it’s safe to say that it’s one of many tunnels connected to a specific system.

 **Kyle:** I bet you’re right on that too… I don’t want you to be, but we’re going to have to be careful about cutting off escape routes if possible.

 **Illona:** Ugh… The smell is only getting worse the deeper that we go inside… I think I’m going to be sick.

 **Cassia:** I’ve got you, Illona… This truly is starting to remind me of the battle we had against Evenor a few moons before the school year ended.

 **Falon:** I hate to say that I feel the same, but I do. For all we know, this is another hub for Crest experimentation.

 **Luciana:** I couldn’t believe that something so awful was taking place when I first heard about it… Perhaps Evenor Hepius is down here and waiting for us.

 **Magnolia:** If so, then I’m not going to hold back in showing her what I’m made of. We weren’t able to defeat her last time, but I’m going to make sure that the truth of everything that she’s done is dragged into the light for everyone to see.

_Seraphine begins to speak to You._

**Seraphine:** I don’t think that I’m ready to face her… Evenor, I mean. If she really does hold the truth about the past, then… I’m going to need more time, and I bet that you feel the same way.

_You nod your agreement._

**Seraphine:** Magnolia seems so much harsher than before… I can see it loud and clear in the way that she discusses Evenor. I just wish that she was actually open to talking to us about all of this instead of hiding it.

_The underground tunnel opens up significantly, and You see a wide battlefield with a series of five entrances scattered about the area. You also notice that Malice soldiers are gathered together, though their dark armor makes them somewhat difficult to see in the shadows. A familiar man is standing at the far end of the area, and You recognize him as being the one who was with Evenor before your battle against her five years prior. He has grown older, but he still looks the same._

**Man:** Hmph… I didn’t expect you to come down here of your own accord… I must say that you’re more obsessed with snooping than I thought.

 **Magnolia:** I remember you…!

 **Man:** This is far from being the first time that we’ve met, Princess… Oh, excuse me. You’re a queen these days, aren’t you? My apologies for the slip of the tongue.

 **Magnolia:** Stop it with the sass and tell us what you’re doing here. If you won’t talk, we’ll simply have to force it out of you. One way or another, we’re going to get what we want. It’s really only your choice as to how it happens.

 **Man:** I’m here to command the forces that are under my control… Perhaps one of your companions can explain it.

 **Illona:** I didn’t realize that I would be seeing you here of all places…

 **Man:** I understand, Illona… It has been quite a long time since we crossed paths, hasn’t it? And you’re still insisting on playing your ridiculous game of soldier.

 **Magnolia:** What are you talking about? Illona, who is this?

 **Drake:** You may call me Drake de la Brache.

 **Illona:** He’s my uncle… I didn’t realize that he was involved with all of this.

 **Magnolia:** Given the fact that we’re here underground in an atmosphere like this, I think I know the sort of crimes that he’s guilty of. Us having met him at the same time that we came into contact with Evenor doesn’t help his case in the slightest.

 **Illona:** …

 **Magnolia:** Your silence says everything. Blue Lions, the time has come for us to move out. Let’s show this man what we’re truly capable of.

_You begin to prepare for the coming fight against Drake and his forces. The many entrances and exits of the tunnels leave plenty of space for Malice fighters to leave, so You decide to internally block off as many of them as possible. Drake stands near the primary entrance of the tunnel, and the Malice forces all gather around him defensively, telling You clearly that he is the one who is meant to be commanding them._

_The battle begins properly once preparations are completed properly, and the following dialogue plays out._

**Magnolia:** There are many entrances to the greater tunnel system down here, and that confirms our suspicion about this being one of many smaller areas connected to this region. We need to block off as many of them as possible to prevent our foes from retreating. From there, we can close in on the enemy commander and defeat him.

_As the fight starts, You fight alongside the Blue Lions with a renewed sense of ferocity. You recognize that the time to defeat Drake has arrived even after he escaped five years prior, and You charge towards him and the other Malice soldiers under his command. You find yourself impressed with how much strength the Blue Lions have gathered over the past few years, and You lead them in the battle to come, blocking off the exits to the tunnel system as You go along._

_When the first exit has been blocked away, the following dialogue plays out._

**Kyle:** And there’s the first one down. There are four more for us to take care of now.

 **Cassia:** The enemy numbers are already starting to fade, and they won’t be able to receive reinforcements this way.

_When the second exit has been blocked away, the following dialogue plays out._

**Falon:** And there’s another exit taken care of. That should make it harder for them to keep fighting.

 **Karim:** Do what you can to stay safe, everyone. We can’t allow any casualties to take place here!

_When the third exit has been blocked away, the following dialogue plays out._

**Nora:** We’re more than halfway through now. Block off the last two exits at once.

 **Aestlyn:** Of course. We can’t allow them to break through after all we’ve done already.

_When the fourth exit has been blocked away, the following dialogue plays out._

**Reese:** Only one exit remains. We’ll have to be careful as we close in around it.

 **Illona:** Take care to not receive severe damages as we get closer.

_When the final exit has been blocked away, the following dialogue plays out._

**Luciana:** All that remains now is for us to take care of the remaining enemies.

 **Magnolia:** Perfect. We have a grip on the battle now, so we can’t afford to lose here!

_Your party gets closer to fighting Drake as a result of the closed-off tunnels, and You soon find him as the last foe in the area. Your team closes in around him, and You begin to charge towards him._

_If You initiate combat with Drake, the following dialogue plays out._

**Drake:** I’ve heard many things about you from Evenor… She’s fascinated by you even now. I don’t know what you did to earn her attention, but I suppose that it matters little. You’ll never see her again, but such is the way of war. You should have known what you were getting into from the start.

_If Magnolia initiates combat with Drake, the following dialogue plays out._

**Magnolia:** You’ve been involved with the experimentation for quite some time, haven’t you?

 **Drake:** You should have been aware of such a truth the moment that you came down here.

 **Magnolia:** I didn’t want to believe that such dreadful things were still taking place… What’s your aim? What do you hope to accomplish by doing all of this?

 **Drake:** You would love it for me to tell you everything, hm?

 **Magnolia:** If you won’t say it by your own volition, then I’ll simply drag the words free of your lips.

 **Drake:** You may carry the title of a queen now, but you’re still a naive little princess… Ready your weapon, Queen. Allow me to show you what I am truly capable of.

_If Illona initiates combat with Drake, the following dialogue plays out._

**Illona:** I can’t believe that this is still taking place… You’re awful.

 **Drake:** You used to be so enthusiastic about my work, Illona. If I recall correctly, you jumped at the idea that you could receive a Crest and change your family’s history permanently.

 **Illona:** I was young and didn’t understand that you were just using me. I had no way of knowing that you were going to do something like this.

 **Drake:** And yet, you trusted me anyways. You made that mistake, and I can’t be blamed for something that you ultimately decided to do.

 **Illona:**...I’m done talking. Just get out of my sight.

_If Zelhira initiates combat with Drake, the following dialogue plays out._

**Zelhira:** You’ve been responsible for quite a few experiments… You disgust me.

 **Drake:** I remember you… Tell me, do you recall who I am?

 **Zelhira:** Unfortunately, I do. That’s exactly why I’m going to wipe that aggravating smile from your face. You’ll be lucky if I don’t do worse.

 **Drake:** You certainly have gained some bite since our last encounter. Back when we first met, all you knew how to do was talk without acting on it.

 **Zelhira:** Shut up. I grow tired of seeing your face.

_If Hegias initiates combat with Drake, the following dialogue plays out._

**Hegias:** I know you… Back in the day, you and Evenor were friends.

 **Drake:** You always followed her around like a lost duckling. I can’t believe that you’re standing as firm as you are without her now.

 **Hegias:** Times have changed, and I’ve grown… But it appears you’ve stayed the same as ever.

 **Drake:** Judge me all you want. It matters not.

 **Hegias:** I’m finished with this. Let’s just end this already, shall we?

_If Wolfgang initiates combat with Drake, the following dialogue plays out._

**Wolfgang:** I’ve heard that you’re involved with the experimentation… Hmph. Absolutely pathetic.

 **Drake:** You’re trying to threaten me, aren’t you?

 **Wolfgang:** I’m certainly not asking you to tea.

 **Drake:** Of course… You seem like a violent person.

 **Wolfgang:** Oh yeah? Let me show you just how much I’m capable of then.

_If anyone else initiates combat with Drake, the following dialogue plays out._

**Drake:** You made a grave error in judgement by coming down here… You won’t survive to pay the world back for the sins that you have committed. Make your peace with the goddess here and now… It’s the last time you’ll ever hear of her.

_When Drake is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Drake:** You shouldn’t have come here… I refuse to fall in such a dismal place. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.

_After the fight, You stand with the other Blue Lions gathered around Drake, who is cornered against the wall._

**Magnolia:** It’s over. Surrender now or else.

 **Drake:** Hmph…

_Drake reaches out for the nearby table and grabs a small sphere. When he makes contact with it, he teleports away._

**Reese:** Damn it all! What even was that?

 **Luciana:** If I had to guess, I would say it was something fashioned from dark magic.

 **Cassia:** He had it on hand in case he had to flee from this place quickly.

 **Karim:** We’ll track him down again sooner or later, I’m sure.

 **Nora:** He won’t be able to run forever.

 **Aestlyn:** For now, let’s look around this place. We can barricade the other exits temporarily to keep other fighters from finding us.

 **Kyle:** That sounds like a good plan.

 **Falon:** Check out this table… It’s where he was keeping that orb of his.

 **Illona:** It’s absolutely covered in paper…

 **Magnolia:** There has to be something in here that we’ll find useful… Ah! This one is a map of Faerghus… It has Fhirdiad, Faren, and Chevalier territories marked off in red pen.

 **Nora:** There must be a common thread that links all of those areas then… Perhaps it’s something to do with politics.

 **Magnolia:**...Hold on a moment… This has to do with Albinea. Of course it does.

 **Kyle:** Albinea… That’s right. It’s a territory that was colonized by Faerghus ages ago. There’s been a war between Albinea and Faerghus raging for a long time.

 **Falon:** I get what you’re trying to say… The areas that are marked as being targeted are all regions that have supported Albinea in the past.

 **Aestlyn:** I see… That certainly lines up… But why would Malice go after people like that?

 **Karim:** I don’t know. Remember five years ago when we were first getting involved with Malice’s shenanigans? We fought against people from Albinea, didn’t we?

 **Cassia:** We did… I believe that these truths can coexist though.

 **Reese:** You mean to say that our companion here is part of Malice, but he’s been working with other segments of the group.

 **Luciana:** It would make sense… There have to be multiple sectors of this operation to ensure that it’s carried out successfully.

 **Illona:** There were too many risks for only a small group to do this, especially if they were going to aim for the thrones of all three major nations on the continent.

 **Magnolia:** Illona… You said that you knew that man, didn’t you? What can you tell us about him?

 **Illona:** He… He’s my uncle. He played a significant part in helping my family to rise to prominence within the Kingdom. We didn’t exactly start off as nobles, but he helped us to take our place among the higher class.

 **Magnolia:** My assumption is that he used that as a cover so that he could spread his influence and expand his power for the sake of Malice… He seemed to have a connection to Evenor Hepius. Would you happen to know anything about that?

 **Illona:** About Evenor specifically? No… But I can say that he’s involved with the experimentation. That much I’m confident of. He’s the reason that I left my home territory when the war started.

 **Magnolia:** Alright… I think that we can say safely then that he’s involved with a Malice section that wants nothing to do with Albinea then. He’s certainly tied in with Evenor as well. As for how all of this fits together… We’re just going to have to be careful from here on out.

 **Luciana:** We should gather as many of these papers as we can. We don’t want anyone returning and doing anything to destroy it, so we’ll simply take them with us back to the monastery and see if we can learn anything from them.

 **Falon:** The idea that they’re targeting Faren and Chevalier territories… I don’t like that at all. I don’t believe that anything has happened significantly to either one of our houses though, Karim. I believe that we would have heard about something like that already.

 **Karim:** No… There haven’t been any recent pieces of distressing news in Faren territory. If that’s the case, then it means that their plan hasn’t been placed into motion yet, so we can still stop it.

 **Nora:** There has to be some clue about what they’re going to be doing next in here somewhere. We’ll do what we can to find it after we’ve finished moving back towards the monastery. We’ll be safer there.

 **Reese:** You’re correct. Even though we’ve barricaded all of the entrances, there’s still a risk that we’ll be attacked or otherwise hurt if we stay here for much longer than we absolutely need to. Be careful.

 **Aestlyn:** All of this is already giving me an awful feeling… I don’t know how to describe it, but I’m positive that we’re not in the best position at the moment. We’ll simply have to consider it when we get back.

 **Kyle:** There are a few maps of Faerghus from about twenty-five years ago here too… But what could they possibly want from that sort of thing? I don’t understand why something like that would be necessary.

 **Cassia:** Their conquest may be current, but they must have a reason for looking back in such a way. We’ll have to keep our eyes out if we want to figure out what their reasoning for that could possibly be.

 **Illona:** I don’t know where my uncle went, but something tells me that this is far from being our last time seeing him… I don’t know what I’m going to do about him, but I promise that I’ll stay here and stand by all of your sides.

 **Magnolia:** There was never a doubt.

_After everything has been gathered, the group moves back towards the monastery. When You arrive, You plan to head upstairs to the cardinals’ room, but You are cut off by Magnolia approaching You._

**Magnolia:** I sent everyone off to rest for the night. That was a grueling battle, and we’re going to need some extra time to figure out what those papers have. If we try to find it out now, we’re going to be up for hours, and that’s the last thing I want when everybody is this exhausted. You should try to get some sleep too, okay?

_You nod your understanding and ask if the issues in Albinea have anything to do with her recent struggles._

**Magnolia:** That… That’s part of it. I’ll just say that I’m no longer worthy of the Josefa name, assuming that I ever was in the first place… To be more accurate, I don’t think that it’s worthy of me.

_You ask her what she means._

**Magnolia:** We’ll talk more when it isn’t so late. Try to get some rest, Professor. I’ll see you when day breaks.

_Magnolia walks away, and You begin to travel back to your room as Seraphine speaks to You once more._

**Seraphine:** Something is clearly wrong, but I don’t know where to begin as far as figuring it out goes… I mean, it has to be involved with Albinea, but what are the details? You know though… Now that I think about it, Magnolia hasn’t gone by her full name since we came back. She completely dropped her surname… That could have something to do with it. She’s coming up with excuses to keep from talking about it, but she won't be able to avoid the subject forever.

_You nod your agreement as You arrive at your room._

**Seraphine:** In any case, we should head to sleep for the night. We got a lot of work done today, and we have even more of it ahead of us. I’ll see you when morning comes. Goodnight, Professor.

_You settle down to sleep, and You find that slumber embraces You easier than anticipated. Still, You cannot help but wonder about the map that You uncovered and what it could mean. You are sure that your coming conversation with the Blue Lions is going to shed some light on the issue, but your curiosity remains. You pray that this is not a negative omen of any sort, and You allow yourself to finally give in to the arms of sleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love updating this story tbh
> 
> -Digital


	6. Chapter Sixteen: Pursuit of the Hellish I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You explore the monastery after resolving to search for a team of dangerous assassins.

_At the beginning of the next moon, You wake up and hear Seraphine’s voice in the back of your head._

**Seraphine:** I hope that at least something has been figured out… It’s been a few days since our last mission, so there’s been a bit of time for everyone to try and see what exactly is going on here.

_You make your way to the cardinals’ room, and You find Magnolia standing inside alone. You greet her._

**Magnolia:** Good morning, Professor… Pardon me for seeming a bit distracted. I’m trying to figure out the last little piece of this puzzle…

_You ask her if there would be a way for you to help._

**Magnolia:** In all honesty, I have no idea. It feels like the answer is on the tip of my tongue… Ah! I think I got it!

_The rest of the group arrives._

**Luciana:** I did my best to gather everyone so that we could discuss our recent findings and bounce around ideas… It’s good to know that you were here since you weren’t in your room, Professor.

 **Reese:** You sure do look excited, Magnolia. Is there something in particular that you think we should know about?

 **Magnolia:** As a matter of fact, yes. I think I know why the old map of the Kingdom was found among the documents in the area. You’re going to want to hear about this.

 **Nora:** Don’t hold back then. Go on and tell us what you think is so important.

 **Magnolia:** I’m sure that some of you are aware of the existence of House Dragoste. It was a noble territory within the Kingdom for many years, but it fell about twenty-five or so years ago.

 **Kyle:** That’s true… My parents came from that house, though they never spoke about the past. They wanted nothing to do with noble society after leaving it behind.

 **Falon:** I think I understand what you’re trying to get at here, Magnolia… You think that Malice was involved with House Dragoste somehow.

 **Magnolia:** That’s my current theory. I remember hearing from Kyle when we first met that his parents passed away in mysterious circumstances. You never knew who was responsible for the killings.

 **Illona:** You think that Malice was somehow involved with this… But why would they want to kill people who left behind noble society?

 **Aestlyn:** There’s been a lot of tension within the Kingdom in the past three or so decades… When the previous king was still in power, he was trying to suppress rebellions in Albinea.

 **Cassia:** Some nobles agreed with his actions while others opposed, and a third group chose to remain neutral.

 **Karim:** We discovered while out on the mission that the houses that supported Albinean independence in the past few years were targets of Malice.

 **Magnolia:** House Dragoste just so happened to support Albinea before the lord and lady departed from noble society. They had enough of what was happening and decided to leave. They were killed under mysterious circumstances years later when they were finally found because of their previous support of Albinea. That’s what I believe at the moment, anyways.

 **Reese:** Somehow, all of that ties in with what’s happening right now. What are your theories regarding that?

 **Magnolia:** I’m under the impression that there are two different parts of Malice that currently hold a grudge against parts of the Kingdom. First off, there are those who wish to target the houses that have remained loyal to the Kingdom itself, those being houses Faren, Chevalier, de la Brache, and Berniere. Houses Goneril and Schweighen are a bit more problematic and have sided with Malice, so they want to lash out against those who are involved with following my lead and rule.

 **Falon:** That would make sense… Many of them sided with Malice because they wanted to make a bid for power, believing that Malice would win the war.

 **Magnolia:** Exactly. Within the houses that have turned against us, there is much enmity towards those who previously stood by Albinea. House Goneril, for example, was always staunchly opposed to it. House Berniere was much the same way, and House de la Brache is so recent that they haven’t taken a particular stance one way or the other. They would want to take out those who they thought were interfering with Faerghus colonization in other territories, thus expanding their reach.

 **Luciana:** I can’t imagine how anyone can simply sit by and be so passively cruel towards others…

 **Magnolia:** As for the other group… I believe that the other group is something different entirely. I’m sure that you remember our previous encounter with Albinean people when Malice first came to light five years ago… I think that the rule of my father combined with the war effort between Faerghus and Albania has them set on revenge. Even though it isn’t a perfect alliance, they’ve teamed up with Faerghus to try and destroy the kingdom after the war ravaged their homeland.

 **Illona:** I see… There are countless players on the field here, and that was why you brought up the idea of there being multiple factions when we were last discussing this.

 **Magnolia:** Precisely. The documents that we uncovered lead us to one crucial fact, and I think that it has to do with those who have allied themselves with Albinea. The first out of these two groups wishes to destroy the houses Faren and Chevalier for their firm alliance with my opposition to war with Albinea. These traitorous houses were also likely responsible for the deaths of the previous lord and lady of House Dragoste, and I believe that the documents we uncovered are proof that they’re going to try and strike soon to carry out the remainder of their mission.

 **Karim:** If that’s the case, then we’re just going to have to stop them before they can do anything like that.

 **Nora:** Given that you were able to glean so much information from all of these papers, I’m willing to hazard a guess that we know where they’re going to be gathering.

 **Magnolia:** Exactly. I’ve found the point where they’ll likely be assembling in a few weeks’ time, assuming that the timeline that we uncovered is accurate. We’re going to strike then and eliminate them.

 **Cassia:** It seems to me that we have our mission for the month then… We’re going to be eliminating assassins that are trying to destroy the stability of the Kingdom.

 **Aestlyn:** It’s good to know that we have all of this information gathered in advance… We’ll do everything that we can to prepare for this.

 **Kyle:** I’m sure that we’ll be fine. We’ve been able to handle ourselves thus far, and this will certainly make it easier for us to lash out in the future if we don’t have these pesky assassins breathing down our necks constantly.

 **Magnolia:** I’m glad that we all understand our next objective. I’d like you all to prepare for the mission at hand, and we’ll reunite soon enough to discuss what’s next. I’m counting on you. Everyone’s dismissed.

_You watch as the members of the group leave the room, but You stay behind and comment on how Magnolia’s deductive skills are impressive._

**Magnolia:** Thank you, Professor. It’s all built out of necessity. I do what I have to for the sake of the Kingdom.

_You nod your understanding and leave the room. Seraphine speaks to You._

**Seraphine:** There’s still something going on with her, but I suppose that’s just part of the daily routine at this point… It’s unfortunate, but what can we do about it? Let’s just focus on making our rounds of the monastery for now, okay?

_You nod your agreement and return to your room. You move to the Officers Academy to start your rounds of the monastery. There, You find Cassia standing in the courtyard._

**Cassia:** I don’t want you to misunderstand what was said during our previous meeting. My parents are supporting Faerghus in this war, but it’s hardly a true alliance. They’re remaining as neutral as possible so that they can switch sides if it seems that we might lose. They’re deceptive and manipulative, and they’ll backstab us as soon as they get the chance.

_You move to the training hall next. Inside, You encounter Kaeta and Yuliya, who are sharing a conversation._

**Kaeta:** I heard from others around the monastery that our mission this month involves the war with Albinea… Are you doing alright?

 **Yuliya:** I’m doing just peachy. After all, who wouldn’t like to hear that your country being allowed to exist is nothing more than a political opinion to these nobles?

 **Kaeta:** You sure are particularly prickly today… I’ll leave you in peace if that’s what you want.

 **Yuliya:** I have a lot to think about right now, so I’d appreciate that.

 **Kaeta:** Ugh… This situation is nasty.

_You head to the bottom row of dorms. You find Kyle standing by himself._

**Kyle:** I don’t know what I expected regarding my parents’ deaths… I don’t remember much about them, but they wanted people to be happy. That much I’m sure of. And then… They died for that wish. I hope they’re proud of what I’m doing now to uphold that legacy…

_Further down the row, You encounter Callisto._

**Callisto:** Lots of things have been happening in the Empire these days, you know. It’s not exactly being advertised, but I heard that a resistance force is brewing. There are people down there who are raising all sorts of hell. The phony on the throne won’t know what hit him.

_You find William between the final dorm in the row and the greenhouse._

**William:** Tensions with outside nations have always been strong for the three nations on our continent. The previous king of Faerghus incited war with Albinea and pushed through native Sreng territory. The previous emperor of Adrestia was all too glad to fight with Brigid and Dagda to put them in their place. Almyra and Leicester don’t exactly get along either… In a way, this seems par for the course at this point.

_You move to the second floor of dorms. There, You encounter Zelhira._

**Zelhira:** My father has been sending me updates about what’s been happening in Adrestian territory. An unknown rogue has been rising through the ranks and creating an army. They’re a small but elite force, but nobody knows who their leader is… I wonder if we’ll ever figure out who’s responsible for it all.

_You also find Aestlyn in the area._

**Aestlyn:** My family perished in the past five years, but… I somehow doubt that it was involved with recent events regarding Albinea. They were with the king when it came to the war against Albinea. They wanted to assert the dominance of the Kingdom for better or worse… I disagree with their policies, but I don’t think that had to do with their deaths…

_You move back downstairs and head into the greenhouse. There, You find Wolfgang._

**Wolfgang:** I’ve been in contact with an informant of mine, a friend named Calypso. She says that both Leicester and Adrestia have been seeing major shifts lately. I doubt that Malice is going to have power there forever. It seems like a strong presence in Adrestia, but that’s not going to last, and when it does fall apart, we’ll be ready to jump on the opportunity and reclaim control.

_You head to the fishing hole next. You find Cedric standing on the edge of the dock._

**Cedric:** When we arrived at the Malice underground area, we didn’t find any other people… I hope that this isn’t a sign that there have been more recent experiments since we were last investigating such a matter. I would hate to hear of anyone coming to harm in such a way…

_You also find Nora in the area of the fishing hole._

**Nora:** All of these political issues involving nobles… I just don’t get it. How is it that nobles can be so clueless that they just go about life thinking about how others don’t deserve basic decency? Albinea and Faerghus are only at war because one of them has a pride issue, and it isn’t Albinea.

_You move to the dining hall. You cross paths with Karim._

**Karim:** My house has always been in support of Albinea. It didn’t exactly win us any points with the previous king, but it’s not like we particularly cared. Given our Duscur heritage, it would be hypocritical of us to not support an outside nation. Besides, we knew where Faerghus didn’t belong… I just wish Franz Josefa knew that too.

_You also find Falon in the area._

**Falon:** My mother was born in House Chevalier while my father was of House Goneril. They met because my father was sent to investigate those who were allied with Albinea, but they fell in love after my father realized the ways of his house had been wrong. He… He’s gone now, but I want to keep fighting for Albinea in his name. I know that it’s what he would have wanted for me.

_You also find Adeline in the dining hall._

**Adeline:** All three of the nations have been practically overrun with Malice supporters by this point… I suppose they think that’s the easiest way to find strength. It’s upsetting, to say the least. Then again, I guess it does sort out the people who we shouldn’t be associating with along the way…

_You cross paths with Piers as well._

**Piers:** All of the issues involving relations with Albinea are nauseating. I feel like we should be aware by now that the previous king is responsible for this because of his egotistical nature. Then again, I suppose it’s difficult to get everything under control given the circumstances, but if anything, this just shows us again what we already knew: the previous king was a nightmare.

_Finally, You find Adrian in the dining hall._

**Adrian:** The man who we encountered during the last mission… I hope that we’ll be able to find him again before he can stir up any further trouble. I don’t want anybody to get hurt because he got away. If he’s truly as important as we believe though, then it’s just a matter of time before we see him again…

_You move to the area outside the sauna near the dining hall. There, You find Nesreen._

**Nesreen:** The experimentation involving Crests is not a new issue. It’s been around for quite some time, and the reappearance of Drake de la Brache just confirms it. The next time that he shows his face, we’re going to defeat him. That much I can promise you with complete confidence.

_You make your way to the marketplace. There, You find Herwig._

**Herwig:** Times are rough within the Empire. The rumors of a rebellion brewing are nice to hear about, but I fear that they aren’t as promising as we need them to be. The current group in power won’t go down easily, and if the resistance force wants to come close to toppling them, they’ll have to act quickly with everything they have.

_You also find Reese in the marketplace._

**Reese:** All of this is nothing short of exhausting… I hate that we’re being forced to put up with both the experimentation and old assassins at the same time. There’s a lot of pressure on us at the moment, and we have to abandon our search for Drake de la Brache in order to complete our next mission. It’s unfortunate, to put it nicely, though I have a few other choice words I would prefer to use.

_You make your way to the stables. There, You find Miriam._

**Miriam:** I have the sneaking suspicion that we’re going to have to be particularly careful from here on out… The assassins we’re dealing with have been in operation for a long time, and they were able to avoid detection for many years. We’ll have to proceed with caution and ensure that we don’t sustain too many damages.

_You navigate to the gardens outside of the reception hall next. You cross paths with Jill there._

**Jill:** House Goneril straddles the border between Faerghus and Leicester, so it has territories in both. The house is divided into two parts as a result… Neither one of them are particularly pleasant. Novalee is from House Goneril, and I can promise you that she didn’t have a pleasant experience there. In a way, them not supporting Albinean independence is just the cherry on top of the disgusting cake.

_You also find Taiyin in the region._

**Taiyin:** I don’t think that anybody appreciates the garden area of the monastery enough. I mean, it’s a bit out of the way, yes, but it’s still nice to see… I might have to start coming by here a bit more often to try and find some peace. Given what’s been happening as of late, heaven knows that I’m going to need it.

_In the knights’ hall, You find Rodain standing alone._

**Rodain:** It seems like everything just started happening at once, you know? Between the return of the experimentation and everything that was found in the tunnels, we have a lot of information to work with. I don’t know if I would exactly call that a good thing, but we’re just going to have to live with it, I suppose.

_You also cross paths with Wynne._

**Wynne:** Lots of rumors have been going around lately about what’s been happening in the Empire. There’s all sorts of gossip even if there’s nothing conclusive yet, and there are many people who think that a mercenary is starting a rebellion against the current emperor. Imagine how great that would be.

_You move to the graveyard, and You find Hegias there._

**Hegias:** I believe that the man from last month was involved with Evenor’s experimentation efforts. It wouldn’t surprise me if he somehow learned all of this from her. As much as I hate to say it, I think that she was the one who spearheaded all of this while working under the previous emperor… How awful…

_You go to the entrance hall next. Inside, You find Grey._

**Grey:** I really don’t know what I’m going to be doing about all of this new information… There are a few people in Abyss who came because they were running from the experimentation, and all of them are really stressed out. It feels like none of us can catch a break right now, you know? It just never ends.

_You also cross paths with Tuncay._

**Tuncay:** A while back, I started hearing whispers about a mage in the Empire. with lots of power who could take down monsters on her own. All sorts of beasts have started prowling the land as of late, but this mage could apparently take them all out no problem. I wonder if they’re involved with the resistance brewing in Adrestia… It’s certainly possible.

_You move north to the reception hall. Inside, You find Aquillus._

**Aquillus:** The idea that there are multiple different forces of fighters within Malice makes a lot of sense, you know. Some of the teams that we encountered just seemed so radically different that you almost had to wonder how there was even a connection, but this makes sense… I wonder where the different lines are drawn…

_You also find Lev._

**Lev:** I hate the idea that the experimentation has been going on throughout all of this… I guess I sort of suspected it, but I didn’t want it to be true. After all, it would be so easy to take advantage of those who have been suffering due to the war to pull this off in secret… It’s nothing short of despicable.

_Lastly, You cross paths with Saias._

**Saias:** The recent news has made Abyss so chaotic… We have people there who were forced on the run because of the war with Albinea and the experimentation involving Crests, and it seems like everything is in an uproar. I just had to get away from it, even if it was only for a little while… It’s a mess.

_You move to the cathedral, and You find Illona inside._

**Illona:** My uncle and I haven’t exactly seen eye to eye in a long time… He wanted me to hide my Brigid heritage for the sake of the family name, and he was the one who… Yeah. It took me a long time to realize that what was happening wasn’t okay, and to know now that he’s hurting other people… It’s sickening.

_You see Sofia in the cathedral as well._

**Sofia:** I can tell that something is bothering Illona… She’s been acting so jittery ever since we went down to the tunnels during the last mission. I hope that she’s going to be alright… The last thing that I want is for her to be upset about all of this. Then again, I wouldn’t be able to blame her if she was…

_You move down to Abyss next. You go to the library first and find Magnus inside._

**Magnus:** Albinea and Faerghus have had a long history of disagreement. When Faerghus troops first touched down in Albinea, they immediately began to claim the land as their own without consideration for the locals… They were being foolish if you ask me. They weren’t there first, and they should have simply accepted such a fact rather than throwing a prolonged tantrum over it.

_You also find Tsubasa in the library._

**Tsubasa:** I had a sneaking suspicion that the experimentation was still going on, but I didn’t want to believe that it was the case. I don’t think that anybody really wants to believe that something like this is still happening, after all. We’ll just have to stay on our toes to make sure it doesn’t continue in the future.

_You cross paths with Ernst when You move to Burrow Street._

**Ernst:** The experimentation continuing after all this time is certainly unfortunate… That means that we probably know what Evenor Hepius is doing, wherever she is right now… I wonder if we’ll be able to draw her out of hiding somehow. Heaven knows that we need to take care of this issue sooner or later.

_You find Ansel there as well._

**Ansel:** Lots of people came over here from Albinea after the war started. They figured it would be more peaceful in Leicester or Adrestia since Faerghus would never wage war on one of those nations. Oh, how poorly such assumptions have aged… Look at us now. The world’s gone to hell, and there’s nothing we can do about it aside from continuing to fight until we all die! Perfect world, isn’t it?

_Finally, You investigate Chrysalis Row and find Gabriel._

**Gabriel:** If there really is a resistance force mounting within the Empire, they had better decide to target Bazler. He’s managed to reclaim his position of power since he was last encountered five years ago, and I doubt that he’s going to be backing down until someone shoves him into his place. It’s what he deserves.

_You move up to the second floor of the monastery, and You head to the library. There, You find Derric and Niko sharing a conversation._

**Niko:** You know, if we hadn’t come back here, I would have said that we should work with the resistance forces mounting in the Empire.

 **Derric:** As of now, they’re nothing more than rumors. I don’t think that we should get too caught up in them.

 **Niko:** Perhaps not, but it’s a fighting chance for Adrestia. If you ask me, that’s all the reassurance that I need.

 **Derric:** It would be nice to have the current emperor off the throne… He shouldn’t even be there in the first place.

 **Niko:** And if all goes according to plan, then he won’t be for too much longer.

 **Derric:** Here’s to hoping for that then.

_You move to the commons’ room next and find Florence alone inside._

**Florence:** I wonder what Magnolia is going to do about the rebellion brewing within the Empire. There’s not much information right now, but this has to lead to something great. Maybe we’ll finally be able to take the country back… In the name of those who have fallen, we have to at least try. That’s my take on it, anyways.

_Lastly, You enter the cardinals’ room and find Magnolia and Luciana._

**Luciana:** I remember the days when my mother was still alive, and House Arellan was very firm in its opposition to Albinean independence.

 **Magnolia:** That’s right. Your mother always wanted to kiss up to my father, didn’t she? It was practically her livelihood.

 **Luciana:** That’s certainly one way of putting it… But I wouldn’t call it incorrect in the slightest.

 **Magnolia:**...Times have changed so much since then. I’m queen now, and your house has fallen. 

**Luciana:** I can assure you that there is no place I would rather be than here, Magnolia. My mother was the one in charge, and I believe I’m doing much more here than I ever would have had the potential to do as the heir to House Arellan.

 **Magnolia:** I’ll trust your judgement there… Now, let’s keep drawing up the plans for the coming month’s mission.

 **Luciana:** Of course.

_With your rounds of the monastery finished, You head to your room, and Seraphine speaks to You._

**Seraphine:** I hope that we’re able to intercept these assassins before anything too bad happens… I really don’t want this to go south. We didn’t exactly discuss it when we were with the others, but if we fail this… If we mess up this mission, we could be placing Karim and Falon’s families in danger. Who knows what could happen if their houses fall to Malice?

_You say that You intend to do everything You can to succeed._

**Seraphine:** I had a feeling you’d say that… And I trust you to follow through with it. If anybody can pull this off, it’s you and the students. You’re capable of doing many great things, and I feel like you’ve shown as much many times before. All you have to do now is actually pull it off, though I suppose that’s far easier said than done when push comes to shove… But there’s nothing we can do about it now. We should try to get some rest so that we’re ready when things start to happen again.

_You nod your agreement and get ready for bed. You wonder if the mission ahead will end in success as You have been hoping, and your thoughts once again return to Magnolia. You hope that You will be able to help her out of her rut of sorts sooner rather than later, and You find yourself longing to learn what has been bothering her for so long. You hope that You will be able to stop your foes, and You pray with everything You have that you will be able to save those who have been placed in danger as sleep overtakes You fully…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates are fun
> 
> -Digital


	7. Chapter Sixteen: Pursuit of the Hellish II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You march on Chevalier territory to save the house from distress.

_When the day of the mission arrives, You wake up and start to move to the cardinals’ room. As expected, Seraphine speaks to You on the way._

**Seraphine:** I guess that we’re going to be defeating the assassins that have been causing so many problems as of late now… It’s not going to be an easy fight if they’re really as strong as we’ve been led to believe. Assuming that they were truly involved with the assassinations of many years ago, we’re certainly going to have our work cut out for ourselves if we want to defeat them and prevent them from causing any future issues for our army.

_You say that You have no intentions of failing for the sake of the Blue Lions._

**Seraphine:** You’re just as determined as ever… Though I suppose that you do have a personal stake in all of this. You’re protective over the kids, and you don’t want to imagine that anyone could go after Karim or Falon for their connections to the houses that are being targeted at present. Plus, there’s the matter of Kyle being targeted potentially due to his connection to the fallen nobles.

_You confirm her suspicions._

**Seraphine:** You know, it’s sweet to know that you care about them so much, but I’m not going to object in the slightest. After all, I feel much the same way… I suppose that we’re not going to be able to talk for much longer though. We should go and see how everyone’s doing at the moment. What do you say to that?

_You nod, and Seraphine’s voice falls away from your mind as You arrive at the cardinals’ room. You see the Blue Lions gathered inside as You anticipated._

**Magnolia:** Good. It’s nice to see you here, Professor. We were just finishing up our final preparations for the coming battle.

 **Luciana:** As far as we can tell, the assassins are unfortunately planning on moving in the direction of Chevalier territory. We need to get there as soon as possible to protect the lady of the house.

 **Falon:** I hope that nothing happens to my mother while we’re there. Then again, I suppose as long as we’re fighting with all of our might, we should be alright.

 **Karim:** We’re going to make sure that nothing bad happens. Consider that a promise. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.

 **Kyle:** These assassins have been allowed to cause issues for far too long, but I’m not going to allow them to roam free any longer.

 **Illona:** We shouldn’t stand around here any longer than we absolutely have to. If they really are targeting Falon’s mother, we have to get going as soon as possible.

 **Reese:** I don’t know why I’m even surprised that these assassins are causing so many issues for us… Of course they are. It’s just our luck that this would happen.

 **Nora:** We’ll simply have to wipe them out before anything too bad can happen. If they insist on causing problems, then we’ll show them the consequences of their actions.

 **Aestlyn:** We should be about ready to head out as it is. I can’t think of anything else that we would need to take care of.

 **Cassia:** The other troops are already prepared to march on our destination. I made sure of such before I came up here to meet with you all.

 **Magnolia:** I’m glad to hear it. Now, let’s go and show them what we’re made of!

_The Blue Lions leave the area, and You find yourself staring at Magnolia from afar, once again recognizing that something is on her mind. She is still acting strangely, but something tells You that the truth will be coming out soon enough, and when it does, You will be ready for the answers that come your way._

_Over the course of the next few hours, your team moves in the direction of Chevalier territory. When You finally stop moving, You have taken up defensive positions near the outside of House Chevalier._

**Luciana:** Alright, everyone. We’re going to do everything in our power to keep our foes from reaching the building. We can’t let them slip through the cracks.

 **Reese:** They don’t know that we’re aware of their intentions. House Chevalier doesn’t have the largest military due to being a smaller house.

 **Nora:** In other words, they’re going to think that they can simply march inside and defeat their target, so they won’t be expecting to run into us.

 **Aestlyn:** Hopefully we’ll be able to use that hubris against them then. Imagine how incredibly satisfying that’s going to be.

 **Falon:** We can’t afford to take any unnecessary risks. If anything happens to my mother… I don’t even want to imagine it.

 **Karim:** And you won’t have to, because we’re going to make sure that everyone who gets even close to the estate’s entrance is taken care of.

 **Cassia:** Forming a defensive line while still going out of our way to attack the oncoming forces will be our best strategy here.

 **Kyle:** I agree. We can’t afford to slip up, but we’ll have to lash out when we get the chance to keep from being overwhelmed.

 **Illona:** We’re a relatively small battalion, so I agree that this is our best bet at success… Ah! Look over there!

_Illona points to a nearby hill, and You see a large force of enemies dressed in dark armor moving closer. You recognize them immediately as belonging to Malice._

**Magnolia:** It seems to me like our foes have arrived. It’s time for the battle to begin. Stay safe, everyone! We can handle this as a team!

_You examine the enemy forces that are steadily advancing and settling into position. It appears as if there are many reinforcements, though they don’t appear to be as powerful as You were anticipating. They seem to be far closer to the skill level of your forces as opposed to being the grisled assassins that You had been expecting to see. You choose to take this as a temporary blessing as You prepare for the fight at hand._

_The enemy forces are still arriving when the battle begins properly. You and the Blue Lions fight with everything that You are capable of to keep the enemies as far away from House Chevalier’s estate as possible, and You manage to make significant progress in fending off your foes._

_If an enemy gets too close to the point that must be defended, the following dialogue plays out._

**Magnolia:** Everyone, close in around those soldiers! We can’t allow them to reach House Chevalier!

_When many of the enemies have been dispatched, You turn your attention to the commander leading these forces. He is a young man who clearly lacks experience, and he goes by the name of Ludgir. When he speaks, his shrill voice pierces your ears mercilessly, almost giving You a headache in the process._

_If You initiate combat with Ludgir, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludgir:** You must be the commander of this little army here… You’re going to regret raising your blade against me! Step away or face my fury!

_If Magnolia initiates combat with Ludgir, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludgir:** I didn’t expect to cross paths with the queen today! I thought that you were spending all your time holed up in your castle!

 **Magnolia:** Plans have changed, and I’m going to be dispatching of my foes personally from here on out.

 **Ludgir:** How disappointing… Though it certainly makes our jobs far easier! Maybe I can even go home with the glory that comes with toppling a queen!

 **Magnolia:** I’d like to see you try.

_If Kyle initiates combat with Ludgir, the following dialogue plays out._

**Kyle:** You… You aren’t the one that I’m looking for.

 **Ludgir:** What are you talking about? Have we met before?

 **Kyle:** You’re so much younger than the people that could have…

 **Ludgir:** Stop speaking in riddles and be upfront!

 **Kyle:** ...Forgive me. I’m afraid that there has been a misunderstanding. Regardless, I have to carry out my duties to this army, and I intend to follow through no matter what. It ends here.

_If Karim initiates combat with Ludgir, the following dialogue plays out._

**Karim:** You’re awfully bold for thinking that you would be able to get away with something like this.

 **Ludgir:** It should have been a simple operation… The queen shouldn’t have found out about all of our plans!

 **Karim:** You should be aware by now that the queen of Faerghus is far better at determining things like this than you realize. Then again, you must not have been thinking if you were planning on following through with this without hesitation… It doesn’t matter now, I suppose. I’m just going to make sure that it all ends here and now.

_If Falon initiates combat with Ludgir, the following dialogue plays out._

**Falon:** You were able to come this far, but I’m not going to be allowing you get any closer than you already have.

 **Ludgir:** You’re the daughter of House Chevalier… You’re the daughter of a traitor.

 **Falon:** I see… House Goneril has been cooperating with Malice, and since you have been as well, the connection is clear as day.

 **Ludgir:** The lady of the house has made many claims about you.

 **Falon:** Unfortunately, I care little for her opinions at the moment. I simply want to protect the one person who looked after me when House Goneril abandoned me so readily, and if that means that I have to slice through you in order to do it, then so be it!

_If Luciana initiates combat with Ludgir, the following dialogue plays out._

**Luciana:** Your brazen confidence is appalling to me. It will not find you victory here today.

 **Ludgir:** Those are bold words for someone who follows the queen around like an irritating lapdog.

 **Luciana:** We have different ideals as far as loyalty and honor are concerned… But I am not obligated in the slightest to discuss such with you. I came here to end this fight, and I won’t allow you to get in my way now!

_If anyone else initiates combat with Ludgir, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludgir:** It should have been a simple operation… I don’t know how you heard about our plans, but I’m not going to allow you to leave now! I’ll find a way to win this battle no matter what you try!

_When Ludgir is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Ludgir:** It… It wasn’t supposed to end this way…! How could you have known…?!

_After the battle, You stand with the Blue Lions outside of the Chevalier estate._

**Magnolia:** That should be the last of them… None of our enemies were able to breach the estate’s borders. It means that we succeeded in our mission.

 **Kyle:** I don’t know if I would say that we completely won… That wasn’t the group that we were supposed to be fighting against if we were looking for the assassins that killed my parents.

 **Illona:** Kyle’s right. The people that we would have expected to see there would have been far more experienced, and they would have been older too.

 **Karim:** If you ask me, our enemies likely thought that this would be an easy fight, so they didn’t bother sending their best fighters in our direction.

 **Nora:** None of them knew that we were going to be coming by here to defend House Chevalier. It isn’t too surprising that they didn’t send out their strongest fighters.

 **Falon:** If this was a surprise attack like they had been planning, then they would have found a way to win today. My mother is a powerful fighter, but I doubt that she would have been able to mobilize her troops fast enough to fend off an attack like this.

 **Aestlyn:** It’s a good thing that we heard about it in time then. We don’t need to waste time thinking about what could have been given that we got through it with our forces intact.

 **Cassia:** Even if we still have a few other assassins to pick off in the future, we can consider this fight a temporary triumph. We may not have come to combat against those we had been anticipating, but we were still able to protect Lady Chevalier. If you ask me, that’s victory in and of itself.

 **Reese:** I feel the same way. We accomplished something great here today, and we need to keep that in mind as we move forward. For the time being, we should head into the building and perhaps speak with Lady Chevalier about what has transpired here today.

 **Luciana:** I agree. I believe that it would be best that she was made aware of what happened. She had no way of knowing that today would end this way, after all.

 **Magnolia:** Alright. In that case, let’s go on and take care of it.

_You watch as most of the Blue Lions walk inside, but Magnolia stays behind. You ask if she is doing alright._

**Magnolia:** I’ll be fine. I just… I wish that it didn’t have to be this way. All of this conflict is happening because of Faerghus and its rocky connections to Albinea. If my ancestors hadn’t tried to assert power where they didn’t belong, we wouldn’t be in this situation. The fighting among the noble houses now is because of the outside relations with Albinea… It truly does make you wonder what nobility is meant to amount to if this is truly all that the nobles of Faerghus care about.

_You watch as Magnolia walks away before trailing after her. Seraphine speaks to You briefly as You approach the mansion._

**Seraphine:** I suppose that offers us a small inkling of what’s been going on in her head, but… I don’t know. I wish that she would stop speaking in riddles so that we had an actual way of understanding what was happening. It would certainly make things easier on our part, but I guess that we really don’t get a say in that. All we can do is be patient and wait until she’s ready to start talking about it.

_You nod, and Seraphine stops speaking to You as the Blue Lions find a place in the entryway of the mansion of the Chevalier estate. A woman with blonde hair stands nearby, and the soldiers of House Chevalier are around her. Even with the arrival of the Faerghus army, she remains attentive._

**Cliona:** Your Majesty! It’s a pleasure to see you… I didn’t realize you were coming, but I take it that your forces were responsible for fending off the recent invasion that we heard whispers of a few hours ago.

 **Magnolia:** You would be correct in your assumptions. Forgive us for not being able to pass on such information to you. We only recognized that there was a plot of this nature before we began to march, but by then, it was too late to pass on the message. At least the battle ended with everyone alive and safe.

 **Cliona:** Thank you for your help here today. I truly do appreciate it. House Chevalier will continue to support your efforts in fighting back against Malice in the moons to come. I’ll remain by your side until we have reclaimed Faerghus.

 **Falon:** Just make sure that you don’t get yourself into a situation like this again…

 **Cliona:** There’s truly no need to worry about me, Falon. Besides, you’re arguably getting yourself into even more trouble than I am at the moment.

 **Falon:** I… I wish I could argue with you on that.

 **Karim:** If you hear about anything else that you think we should be aware of, don’t hesitate to send a message our direction.

 **Cliona:** Of course. I’d be happy to offer some funding towards your cause as thanks for everything that you did here today. Give me a moment to grab some gold.

 **Luciana:** Actually… I believe that it would be more helpful if we had other weapons. Our stock could most certainly use the assistance.

 **Cliona:** I understand. I’ll return shortly.

_You watch as Cliona leaves before turning your attention towards the other Blue Lions._

**Reese:** It looks like it’s back to gathering information for us until we can figure out where Malice is going to strike next.

 **Illona:** Us being able to save Lady Chevalier is important though. I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened if we were too late.

 **Nora:** Luckily, we don’t have to. We’ll focus our attention on the next place that Malice chooses to lash out in. How does that sound?

 **Aestlyn:** I believe that’s our only option at this point anyways… We’re going to figure out the truth about what’s been going on though. That much I’m confident in.

 **Cassia:** Kyle… I can tell that you’re disappointed with today’s results, but know that our battle is not over yet. We may still find results.

 **Kyle:** I know… Thanks for saying that though. I really do appreciate it.

_Cliona returns to the room with many weapons in her arms._

**Cliona:** I hope that these will suffice. I have an incredibly powerful sword, lance, axe, bow, and dagger along with a pair of gauntlets. Ah, and there’s a shield and staff in here as well. I do hope that this is enough to make up for your assistance here today.

 **Magnolia:** This is more than we could have ever asked for… I don’t know if we can accept all of this.

 **Cliona:** Consider this my way of giving back to the war effort. I’m counting on all of you to end the fighting. Take it as a generous gift.

 **Magnolia:** Thank you… We’ll do what we can to ensure that Malice doesn’t cause any issues in the future.

 **Cliona:** I have full confidence in your skills. If you ever find yourself passing through Chevalier territory again, all you need to do is come my way, and I’d be more than happy to house your troops for a brief while.

 **Magnolia:** I appreciate the offer… We had best be getting back to the monastery now, but we’ll be sure to send a message if we ever plan on returning here.

 **Cliona:** Of course. Falon… Be sure to stay safe out there, alright? I’m counting on you to come home safely after the war is over.

 **Falon:** I will, Mother… I’m going to come back here soon enough.

 **Cliona:** I trust you will… Until we meet again, everyone.

_You offer a curt nod in Cliona’s direction before leaving behind the building. Seraphine speaks to You as You go._

**Seraphine:** Falon’s mother truly is a generous woman… The weapons that she gave us will surely be useful to our most experienced soldiers in each weapon type. We’ll have to be careful about who we distribute them to.

_You nod your agreement._

**Seraphine:** Today, we won an important battle… There’s still a long way yet for us to go, but I’m still proud of the progress that we’ve made.

_You say that You feel the same as the journey back to the monastery begins. It is a lengthy quest, and when You eventually arrive back, the sun is on the verge of setting. You watch as the Blue Lions fan out to take care of their respective duties for the night. Seraphine speaks to You once again._

**Seraphine:** I’m happy with how all that ended… We did a lot of great things as far as I’m concerned. House Chevalier is going to be helping us out a lot more than before, and I’m glad that we were able to secure their assistance… I just wish that I knew where we were going to be shifting our attention to next.

_You say that You will likely hear of such when the next mission arrives._

**Seraphine:** You’re right… Given how late it is, I doubt that we’re going to be meeting up with the Blue Lions. I believe that we discussed enough regarding our success when we were at House Chevalier anyways. Besides, it’s not as if Magnolia is going to want to talk to us about everything that’s happened… It feels like she never does these days… Let’s go on and get ready to crash for the night. I can tell that you’re exhausted after all that, and there’s still a lot of work ahead of us.

_You nod your agreement, and You make your way back to your room in silence. As You settle down for the night, You find your thoughts drifting to the assassins that You encountered. You wonder if there will come a time when You encounter the true targets of your ire who sent the forces of the most recent battle after House Chevalier, but You decide to put such curiosities aside. As You drift off to sleep, You wonder what the next moon will bring, and You pray that the coming mission is just as successful as the most recent one was…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's that chapter done!
> 
> -Digital


	8. Chapter Seventeen: Downtrodden I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You explore the monastery after learning of your mission for the month: defeating the soldiers of House Schweighen.

_At the start of the next moon, You make your way to the cardinals’ room. Seraphine speaks to You on the way there._

**Seraphine:** I’m hoping that we’ll be able to take care of the assassins that have been causing us grief as of late… I can tell that everyone’s still a bit bothered by the fact that we only dealt with lackeys as opposed to the leaders last moon. I can’t blame them in the slightest. The fact that the leaders of the group are still out there wandering is bothersome and concerning… We’ll just have to keep going though. Maybe we’ll find results soon enough.

_Seraphine falls silent as You arrive at the cardinals’ room. The Blue Lions are waiting for You there as expected._

**Magnolia:** Ah, Professor. We’re all here now. Time to go over the mission for the coming moon.

 **Karim:** I hope that we’re going to be finding a way to go after the assassins that threatened to go after House Chevalier last moon. We can’t allow them to roam freely. They understand now that we’re going to be working with Lady Chevalier, so that has to give them a motivation to send their stronger forces that direction.

 **Magnolia:** I’m afraid that we can’t do that quite yet… Another house within the Kingdom is starting to stir, and I suspect that it’s because of our recent actions in Chevalier territory. We need to go and take care of that issue as soon as possible.

 **Falon:** I don’t like the idea of leaving this matter alone for any longer than we have to, but I suppose that we don’t get much of a say in who we go after right now. We simply go where we’re needed.

 **Luciana:** The targets this time are from House Schweighen. The territory has been somewhat troublesome for many years now. They’re volatile and tend to keep to themselves, almost as if they’re afraid of the others in the Kingdom.

 **Reese:** I don’t think that it’s being afraid as much as it is simply having brazen confidence. I know the leader of House Schweighen all too well, and he’s far too cocky for his own good. We have to be careful moving from here.

 **Kyle:** I suppose it would make sense that you’re familiar with the dealings there… You do come from Schweighen territory. Your surname makes it clear that you were involved with the house at some point.

 **Reese:** It’s a long story, so I won't bore you with the details. I’ll simply say that we need to be cautious.

 **Cassia:** We won’t ask you to continue. We should be careful as we move forward. If House Schweighen is as volatile and unpredictable as we’ve been led to believe, then we’ll have to move cautiously.

 **Nora:** We can use this moon as a chance to gather information on the matter of the assassins that caused so many problems for us last time we were out. That way, we’ll know exactly where and how to strike when the time comes.

 **Aestlyn:** Perfect. We can direct as many soldiers as we can spare to gathering information, and we’ll use everything that we find to our advantage. I’m sure that will do us a lot of good given how much we have left to get done.

 **Illona:** It sounds to me like we’ve got a plan for what to do next… Is there anything else that we should talk about before we split up? If you ask me, there’s at least one other thing that we need to focus on.

 **Magnolia:** As a matter of fact, yes. I want to take this chance to discuss how the other nations of the continent have been doing. A few things have changed since our previous chat.

 **Luciana:** I know what you mean… The current leader of the Alliance is making significant progress on the journey of eliminating Malice forces. It’s much faster than anyone could have anticipated.

 **Nora:** In other words, there’s a chance that we’ll be able to expect Alliance reinforcements when that front of the war has been won.

 **Illona:** I heard that the Knights of Seiros are still looking for Lady Aisa. There are some who think that they might have finally found something that could lead to her current location.

 **Reese:** I must commend the Knights of Seiros for holding on this long. I don’t know if I would have been able to force myself through this after running into as many dead ends as they have.

 **Kyle:** Things have been happening in the Empire as well. The rumors of a resistance growing there are only mounting now.

 **Aestlyn:** At first, I didn’t want to give them much credibility. I didn’t want to place hope without purpose, I suppose… But we can’t ignore it now.

 **Cassia:** The idea that someone could be creating a rebellion force within the Empire… I didn’t think that anyone had the nerve to stand up to the new emperor in such a way.

 **Karim:** I wonder who their mystery leader is… Perhaps it’s a noble who was forced out of their house by the war. That sounds realistic enough, right?

 **Falon:** I wish that I could tell you… I don’t even know if the soldiers within the resistance are aware of the true identity of the one they’re following.

 **Magnolia:** That’s another thing we’ll simply have to be careful about listening for. I believe that such information could do us quite a bit of good to have on our side, but we’ll have to be careful with it. We don’t want to potentially ruin the chance of an alliance between the Kingdom and Empire by stepping on their toes. Leaders can be fickle when insulted.

 **Luciana:** We’ll do what we can. For the time being though, we don’t have any other pieces of information to provide, so this meeting can be considered over. Thank you all for your patience. If we learn anything else of note, the message will be passed on as soon as possible.

 **Magnolia:** Until we meet again.

_You follow the Blue Lions away from the cardinals’ room. Seraphine speaks to You as You navigate the familiar journey back to your room._

**Seraphine:** A rebellion within the Empire… I don’t know what I’m supposed to think of that, to be honest. I can’t be the only one wondering about who the leader could possibly be. We haven’t heard much of the Empire since we returned, but… I don’t know. I suppose that I have a bad feeling about it all. After all, as far as I’m aware, the current emperor is the one who led the assault on Garreg Mach five years ago…

_You say that You won’t allow such a series of events to repeat once more._

**Seraphine:** I know… It’s just intimidating to think about. We might have to face him one day… And if we don’t face him, then this resistance force is going to have to, and that could result in immense destruction. I suppose that all we can do is wait until we hear more about what’s going on in the Empire… For the time being, let’s go on and make our rounds of the monastery. I could use a distraction so that I don’t overthink everything that’s going on around us.

_You nod your understanding as You arrive back at your room. You begin to walk around the monastery soon afterwards, and Seraphine’s voice fades from your mind. You start by moving to the Officers Academy, and You find Aquillus standing in the Black Eagles classroom._

**Aquillus:** Malice has been trying to stamp out all signs of resistance within the Empire for some time… I know that much firsthand. I can’t believe that someone managed to get through all of that despite the forces working against them. It’s rather impressive. Whoever the rebellion leader is, they’re certainly not wanting for confidence.

_You see Kyle in the courtyard of the Officers Academy._

**Kyle:** You know, I never knew my parents all that well. They passed away before I could get the chance to bond with them properly. I was about eight when they died, but… It changed my outlook on life. I guess that I’ve wanted justice for a while, but I was distracted by other matters first… It bothers me that the culprits are still out there. I hope we find them soon.

_You find Karim standing nearby._

**Karim:** Falon seems to be feeling better now that we’ve saved her mother from the Malice attackers, but I can tell that she’s still on edge. I understand it completely. The sooner that we’re able to eliminate those attackers, the better… I’m getting nervous about them too.

_You move to the training hall, and You see Rodain standing inside._

**Rodain:** Captain Torryn is nothing if not stubborn when it comes to determination. She never falters in the face of adversity, and the fact that she’s continuing the search for Lady Aisa after all this time is proof of that. I wonder what the new lead could be… I hope it leads somewhere.

_You also find Piers in the training hall._

**Piers:** I don’t understand how anyone can remain optimistic regarding Lady Aisa. She’s been gone for so long, and there might not even be proof that she’s dead or alive. All that we have is a lock of her hair from the Battle of Garreg Mach… That’s not exactly evidence in either direction.

_You make your way to the bottom floor of dorms. There, You see Lev._

**Lev:** I heard that Novalee has been working with Raithius on the tactics needed to charge through the Alliance houses that have sided with Malice. They’re two of the best strategic minds that I’ve ever known of. I have no doubt that they’ll win, and soon enough… We’ll see them again.

_You also cross paths with Sofia in the area._

**Sofia:** My home territory has already been taken over by Raithius’ forces from the capital. It was one of the first to be taken out as far as I can tell… I got a letter from Novalee saying that she’s taken my younger brother under her wing. She said that he reminded her of me… I’m glad that he’s okay, but… I guess part of me wishes that I had been the one to seal the deal with my father. Oh, well. There’s nothing I can do to change it now.

_You move to the second floor of dorms. There, You find Zelhira standing alone._

**Zelhira:** My father is starting to work with the resistance force within the Empire. He isn’t telling me who’s responsible for leading the group though… He seems to think that it could be dangerous to talk about. That scares me a bit, I have to say… Who could be so important that he has to keep their identity secret?

_You go back down the stairs and find yourself in the greenhouse. You find Adrian inside._

**Adrian:** Many years ago, Brigid and Dagda waged war against the Empire, and it was only by mercy that they weren’t completely annihilated by the emperor of the time… It was a grab for revenge due to Empire interference with our culture. Likening that situation to the current battle with Albinea makes sense, but that doesn’t mean that I like thinking of it that way…

_You also find Niko in the greenhouse._

**Niko:** The resistance force brewing within the Empire could lead to the fall of the noble house I come from… I don’t know how I feel about that. My relationship with my parents has always been complicated, but… I suppose that if they do pass away, they did this to themselves by siding with Malice and bringing pain to so many people.

_You make your way to the fishing hole. There, You see Falon standing at the end of the dock._

**Falon:** I’m still suffering from the ending traces of my nerves from the previous mission… Even though we were able to save my mother, I’m still anxious about it all. I suppose you can blame that on the fact that my father passed away in the past few years… I don’t want to lose anyone else. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to her.

_You move to the dining hall next. There, You find Aestlyn and Nora engaged in conversation._

**Aestlyn:** Between Illona’s uncle and the assassins from last moon, it seems like there are all sorts of people we need to find but haven’t crossed paths with yet…

 **Nora:** You’re right. It feels like we’re trying to balance a thousand different things at once already.

 **Aestlyn:** I’m hoping that this month’s mission will end in success at the very least. I believe that would be a huge load off our shoulders.

 **Nora:** You’re right… But we won’t know until the time comes for us to actually set out and take care of it.

 **Aestlyn:** Yeah… Ugh, I hate that…

_You also find Derric in the dining hall._

**Derric:** The fall of House Dragoste has always been an intriguing subject to me… My house fell in a similar way, though my birth parents were still nobles when they passed on. My life before becoming Niko’s brother was most certainly something unique, and the idea of the assassins returning… It certainly doesn’t sit well with me, but I know that I have no say in the matter. It’s unfortunate, but… Oh, well.

_You approach the last person in the dining hall, Wynne, next._

**Wynne:** Everyone’s been so jittery ever since we crossed paths with that guy who was responsible for a lot of experimentation… It’s a nasty topic. I don’t get how anyone can be so obsessed with power structures like that. If it’s done nothing but hurt people, why not just get rid of Crests so that nobody does this at all? Well, you can’t get rid of Crests, but… Oh, you know what I mean.

_You walk to the marketplace. There, You cross paths with Tuncay._

**Tuncay:** The idea of a rebellion growing in the Empire most certainly is interesting to me… Anyone with the nerve to go toe-to-toe with the current emperor has earned my respect and then some. He’s strong, though I suppose you knew that given that he was able to run over the monastery without any issues five years ago. Here’s to hoping the resistance ends in success.

_You also find Illona in the marketplace._

**Illona:** I might finally have a lead on where my uncle is. I’ve been trying so hard to figure out what I can, but it’s difficult because of how secretive he’s been. He’s always been good at hiding things like this, and he was able to keep it hidden from my parents for years. I just hope that we’re able to find him and bring him to justice after all he’s done… It’s not even just for my sake. I want this for others. They deserve better than this.

_You move to the entrance hall next. There, You see Callisto._

**Callisto:** I want the resistance force in the Empire to throw out the current emperor more than anything, but I know this takes time. War takes a long time to fester, and it takes even longer to get rid of. I wish that wasn’t the case, but all we can do is wait for now… Maybe we can finish on our front while we’re watching the Empire from afar. That sure would be great, huh?

_You also find Adeline in the entrance hall._

**Adeline:** The invasion of Malice-infected territories of Leicester has already begun, but it’ll be quite a while before it’s drawn to a conclusion. There’s a much higher ratio of problematic houses within the Alliance when compared to the Kingdom, as much as I hate to say it. I know that from personal experience even though I wish that wasn’t the case… Raithius and Novalee have a lot to take care of yet.

_Finally, You encounter Taiyin._

**Taiyin:** I’ve heard lots of things about House Schweighen. Some people in Abyss left the area behind ages ago. The previous lord and lady of the house were murdered in a coup, and the current leader was instated during that process. The current leader of the territory is far from being peaceful though, and not many people are fond of him… I guess he’s had this coming for a while.

_You walk to the reception hall next. There, You see Saias._

**Saias:** I’ve been trying my best to keep updated on what Eli and Quinn have been up to in the past few months. They left to do something, but they still haven’t really given us any new information on their endeavors. It’s unfortunate, but I know I can’t just fix that with the snap of a finger or anything. I’ll do my best to keep the people of Abyss as optimistic as possible though. It’s what they deserve.

_You also find Wolfgang in the reception hall._

**Wolfgang:** Rebellions in the Empire, charges in the Alliance, and attacks in the Kingdom… Sounds to me like everyone is making progress these days. The war finally seems like it’s about to be over. Well, we’ve still got a long way to go, but we’re headed in the right direction, and that’s what matters most to me. Who would have thought we’d get here? Certainly not me.

_Finally, You cross paths with Tsubasa._

**Tsubasa:** I’ve been to Schweighen territory a few times before, you know. It’s not exactly a pleasant place. Sure, it’s not the worst land to find yourself in across the continent, but it’s not what you would specifically want either. The lord of the territory is hostile at times, and not many people are fond of him. I’m sure you’ll figure out why soon enough.

_You walk to the knights’ hall next. Inside, You see Yuliya._

**Yuliya:** The war with Albinea has been getting easier to bear ever since the conflict ramped up over here. It’s ironic how Faerghus only stopped being a problem when a bigger fish got involved. Magnolia might not want to start conflict with Albinea, but other nobles most certainly do… How frustrating. Don’t they know when to just keep out of the business of others? Apparently not.

_You also find Kaeta in the knights’ hall._

**Kaeta:** All this talk about Lady Aisa being found really has me excited. That could help us to get back to how things were before, and I think that’s what we really need right now. Besides, Captain Torryn might come back if Lady Aisa is found! I’ve really missed her in the past few months, and it would be great to see her again, especially if she brought Lady Aisa with her. Imagine the possibilities…!

_You move to the stables. There, You see William._

**William:** I’ve been supporting Raithius as much as possible within the past few years for the sake of helping the Alliance recover from Malice influence one day. I offered him as many soldiers as I could spare from my home territory, and I can only hope that he’s using them well… Then again, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. He’s an amazing commander, and he’ll no doubt do great things for all of us.

_You also find Miriam in the area._

**Miriam:** Malice’s connection with the experimentation groups most certainly has me intrigued… I wonder if there’s a reason that they wanted that specifically. It would likely align with their general goals, but I still find myself curious… Just who is responsible for all of this? Why are they acting in such a way? Questions, questions…

_You walk to the cathedral. Inside, You find Florence._

**Florence:** The current emperor really does make me wonder about the previous rulers of the Empire, you know. I’ve only lived to see Argades von Doroftie and Chris’ father on the throne, but both of them were awful. I want the resistance to overthrow the current ruler. The Empire can’t recover until after he’s been taken away from the throne, and I want that to happen as soon as possible.

_You also find Cedric in the cathedral._

**Cedric:** Raithius has been taking great strides already. It truly does show how far he’s come as a commander and a fighter in the past five years. I’ve seen his progress firsthand, and yet, he still manages to impress me. My previous doubts for him were clearly unfounded, and it relieves me to know that he’s capable of so much. He truly is a fine ruler.

_Finally, You find Cassia._

**Cassia:** My home territory has been allying with Magnolia for the time being, but they’ll switch teams as soon as they think it could benefit them more. They’ve sided against Albinea in the war there because they believed they could benefit from such. My parents are selfish people through and through. There’s a reason I left them behind. We can’t trust their alliance to be limitless, if you want my opinion. We need to be careful.

_You make your way to Abyss next. You find Grey standing in the library._

**Grey:** The idea that Lady Aisa could return soon… That sure is interesting. I had honestly given up hope on her even still being alive a long time ago, but I’m not at all objecting to her taking up her position of power again, even if it’s just temporary. The continent needs some stability right now above all else, and she can provide that for us. She had better come out of hiding soon…

_You also find Magnus in the library._

**Magnus:** All of this recent activity truly is exhausting… I don’t know how a war can be so uneventful for so many years before exploding in activity. Then again, I suppose the continent as a whole was like that too. Everything appeared to be normal for a long time, and then there were historic events back-to-back leading up to the start of this war. It truly is interesting how history works, hm?

_You see Gabriel on Burrow Street when You leave the library behind._

**Gabriel:** The potential for a rebellion in the Empire really does excite me. I want them to get rid of Bazler as soon as possible… Ah, I shouldn’t say his name too loudly. Nobody in Abyss is particularly fond of him, though I suppose that makes a lot of sense after all that he’s done. He deserves to die for his previous actions, and I’m never going to back down from such an idea. You can count on that much.

_You find Ansel on Chrysalis Row soon afterwards._

**Ansel:** It’s nice to see that the Ashen Wolves are growing more comfortable with heading above the ground. You have no idea how much they stuck around here in the past five years. Nobody wanted to leave, as a matter of fact. They deserve some fresh air every once in a while… Oh, I sure am a hypocrite for saying something like that, huh?

_With your business in Abyss finished, You move to the second floor of the monastery. You find Hegias standing in the audience chamber._

**Hegias:** I still can’t stop thinking about everything that’s been going on involving Illona’s uncle… Suddenly, the two of us sharing a Crest makes a striking amount of sense, and her overall anxious nature makes sense too. I don’t know what I’m supposed to think of all this, but… I do know that I have to stop Evenor before any of this can happen again… It’s my obligation to do that… Yeah…

_You move to the second floor of the monastery, and You find Nesreen standing in Aisa’s chambers._

**Nesreen:** You can call me excitable all you want, but I came up here as soon as I heard that Captain Torryn might have found a lead on where Lady Aisa is. Nobody comes up here anymore aside from the rogue visitor once a moon or so. It’s nice to see everything is still intact, but I want to make sure that it’s in good condition in case we find her again. It’s the least I can do to make myself feel useful around here.

_You make your way back down to the second floor, and You find Herwig in his room._

**Herwig:** My house has been involved with Malice ever since the war first broke out. My siblings all abandoned the base house in the aftermath of the war’s declaration if they weren’t gone already. My parents are the ones behind all of House Wessin’s actions at this point… I can’t say that they’re going to get out of this war unscathed, and… It’s certainly difficult to think of things that way, to say the least.

_You find Jill in her designated area as well._

**Jill:** I have no evidence to back up such a theory, but I have to wonder if perhaps Lady Aisa was the one who took Janae McCreary with her after the Battle of Garreg Mach five years ago. Lady Aisa’s magic was what allowed Janae to remain suspended and alive, so it would make sense if they were together… Of course, I thought that she was likely dead up until recently, so I didn’t think to consider it until now… That would be something special, wouldn’t you say?

_Finally, You see Reese standing alone in his room._

**Reese:** My relationship with House Schweighen has always been complicated… I’d rather not discuss it right now, if that’s alright with you. I have too much to think about with us moving in their direction over the next moon or so. I’ll tell you if anything needs to be communicated, but this isn’t going to be pleasant for any of us. Then again, what part of war actually is fun in the first place?

_You walk to the library, and You find Ernst inside._

**Ernst:** It’s nice to get a break up here every once in a while. As much as I love Abyss, I need to step away from time to time, and the collection here truly is impressive. I can’t believe that it took me so long to start investigating the volumes found here. I could spend years sifting through all of these books… Imagine being able to do that instead of fighting in the war… Oh, that would be a dream, but it’s hardly feasible now. Too bad.

_Lastly, You find your way to the cardinals’ room, and Magnolia and Luciana are engaged in conversation within._

**Magnolia:** House Schweighen abruptly changed hands many years ago, and that was when Professor Schweighen was expelled from the territory.

 **Luciana:** According to my research, his uncle was responsible for the upheaval, and it ended with Professor Schweighen’s parents being killed.

 **Magnolia:** I can tell that the idea makes you feel nervous… I can hardly say that I blame you given your circumstances.

 **Luciana:** I… I’m going to do my best to keep my emotions from getting in the way of what we must do. We have a mission, and I’m going to ensure that I carry out my part.

 **Magnolia:** I understand… If you need anything, I’m here. It’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for me in the past five years.

 **Luciana:** I’m alright, but I appreciate the offer. Thank you, Magnolia.

_With your rounds of the monastery finished for the day, You move back to your room, and Seraphine speaks on the way there._

**Seraphine:** I do hope that the coming mission ends in success… I know that’s a natural wish, but I can tell that this is going to be a big battle. This is our first time trying to defeat a noble house since we returned from our slumber… I guess that there’s a lot more riding on this fight than one would have expected at a first glance.

_You say that You’re determined to find victory._

**Seraphine:** I had a feeling you were going to say that… But we can’t win quite yet. We have too much to take care of right now. Go on and get some rest. We’ll have more time to discuss this another time.

_You nod as You settle down for the night. You wonder if Reese will be alright given his personal stake in the coming battle, and your thoughts are cast back to Drake de la Brache and the assassins responsible for the fall of House Dragoste. You hope that they will show their faces once again in the future, and You vow for the sake of your students to defeat them once and for all this time. As You drift into slumber, You hope that everyone endures the coming battle, and You strengthen your resolve once again, vowing to not fail regardless of what comes…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the halfway point of this path now! Woohoo! Plus, supports are already underway, and we're making great progress there. Hell to the yeah!
> 
> -Digital


	9. Chapter Seventeen: Downtrodden II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You march for Schweighen territory alongside the Blue Lions.

_At the end of the moon, You go and meet up with the Blue Lions in the cardinals’ room. Seraphine speaks to You along the way._

**Seraphine:** We’re going to have a lot on our plates involving House Schweighen this month… I have a bad feeling about all of this. I suppose that we’re just going to have to see how it all unfolds. I hope that nothing happens to cause us too much damage. I don’t want to see Professor Schweighen upset about it either.

_Seraphine halts in her speech as You arrive at the cardinals’ room to see the rest of the Blue Lions already there and waiting for You._

**Reese:** Here you are. We were about to send a search party out.

 **Nora:** Forgive him, Professor. I think that he’s just nervous about the mission that we’re taking on today, though I can’t say that I blame him in the slightest.

 **Aestlyn:** There’s really not all that much to our attack today aside from simply charging in there and getting the job done.

 **Magnolia:** Schweighen soldiers have been attempting to provoke nearby territories for quite some time. I can’t say that I’m surprised given the history that the house has, but…

 **Illona:** The point is that we’re going to have to take care of them one way or another.

 **Kyle:** Maybe this will be something that we can actually figure out without anything else getting in our way.

 **Cassia:** That’s what I’m hoping for as well. I don’t like leaving so many things unresolved the way that we have been recently.

 **Falon:** I don’t see much of a reason to stand around here any longer than we have to. Why don’t we get going?

 **Karim:** I have to confess that I feel the same way. Everything should be ready for us to set out.

 **Luciana:** Without further ado then, let’s take our leave.

_The Blue Lions leave the cardinals’ room behind, and the journey to Schweighen territory begins. You spend quite some time making your way to the target of the day’s battle, and the journey passes in mostly silence for You. Your thoughts drift to other matters such as Magnolia and Reese, but You aren’t able to do anything about your concern for either one of them, able to see rather clearly that they aren’t in much of a talking mood._

_When You finally arrive in Schweighen territory, You stand with Magnolia on top of a notable hill near the main building of the estate. You can see the guards circling the building from afar._

**Magnolia:** Alright… Here we are. We’re going to have to rush in as quickly as possible.

 **Luciana:** I agree. We’ve chosen to strike at this point of the day because our informants have led us to believe that the soldiers that regularly guard the estate of House Schweighen are leaving to take care of other business. This is the best time for us to try and reclaim the building.

 **Reese:** Of course… I bet that my uncle has sent out fighters to cause problems in the name of gaining more power. He’s always been like that, loathe as I am to admit it.

 **Karim:** Yeah… I can’t say that you’re wrong about that. I’ve heard many things about his short temper in the past.

 **Illona:** Armadi das Schweighen… I’ve come across quite a bit of information about him in my time as well.

 **Cassia:** We know what we have to do, and we have a narrow window of time where we can accomplish it. I think that we should lash out now before anything can happen.

 **Falon:** I agree completely. If we take too long, reinforcements could start to stream in, and that would make our fight much harder.

 **Aestlyn:** We need to do everything we can in order to keep from being boxed in on two sides. We need to move quickly but not hastily.

 **Kyle:** If you ask me, it sounds like we’ve got a plan about what we’re doing. Let’s put it into motion.

 **Nora:** The guard shifts appear to be changing now. Let’s use the element of surprise to our advantage.

 **Magnolia:** Blue Lions, we move! The battle begins now!

_You and the Blue Lions move into place for the coming fight. You survey the battlefield carefully, and You see that there are many soldiers scattered around the region, but many of them remain close to the building itself. The land in front of the estate is rather wide and open, but the space close to the mansion remains heavily guarded and difficult to break through, so You make a mental note to proceed with caution. There are no signs of Armadi das Schweighen, but You have no doubt that he will appear soon enough._

_When the battle begins properly, the following dialogue plays out._

**Magnolia:** I don’t see the lord of this territory yet… I’m sure that he’s going to show his face soon enough.

 **Reese:** He won’t be able to resist. The idea of taking out the queen of Faerghus will be too great a prospect for him to ignore. I know how he works.

 **Luciana:** He won’t find such a task to be as easy as he’s hoping then. Allow us to show what the Blue Lions are truly capable of here and now!

 **Magnolia:** She’s right. We won’t stop until we’ve reclaimed the Schweighen territory!

_The battle rages around You in the minutes that follow, and the Blue Lions once again show how far they have come in the past five years. You begin to surge closer to the estate, and You begin to feel as if seizing the building is within your grasp._

_At the start of turn three, the following dialogue plays out as perspective shifts to the inside of the Schweighen manor. Armadi stands with a soldier and a young woman: Raina._

**Soldier:** Sir! A group of soldiers led by the queen are here!

 **Armadi:** Queen Magnolia is here…? What a curious development… What do they want?

 **Soldier:** They’re calling for the removal of your power due to your alliance with Malice!

 **Armadi:** I didn’t think that the queen would be so bold as to something like that… I’ll take to the field myself then. She has no way of defeating me in combat.

 **Raina:** What should I do, Uncle?

 **Armadi:** Stay inside, Raina. Don’t let anyone see you, understood?

 **Raina:** Of course.

_Raina leaves, and Armadi turns his attention back to the soldier._

**Armadi:** Let’s go and show them why they shouldn’t even dare to cross into Schweighen territory ever again.

 **Soldier:** Of course, sir!

_Armadi takes to the field. The following dialogue plays out._

**Magnolia:** There he is… Lord Armadi das Schweighen! Surrender at once or face the full might of the Faerghus Knights!

 **Armadi:** I’m afraid that giving in is not an option for me. Forgive me for continuing this fight.

 **Reese:** Don’t mask your intentions with pretty words… We know that you don’t want to back down no matter what happens. You’re in this for power and land, and that’s all there is to it.

 **Armadi:** …

 **Luciana:** Magnolia, what are your orders?

 **Magnolia:** We’re going to keep fighting. That’s all there is to it. Don’t stop until we’ve reclaimed the building!

_The battle continues, and your forces press toward the building once again. You are steadily advancing on success as the minutes crawl on, and You can tell that Armadi will be defeated soon._

_At the start of turn six, the following dialogue plays out as reinforcements spawn in from the back end of the map._

**Magnolia:** Enemies are starting to return to the area… We can’t afford to hold this off for much longer if we want to keep from getting overwhelmed. Get closer as soon as possible!

_Your forces finally start to close in around Armadi, and the battle’s end is within your grip. You can tell that You will only need to defeat him in order to seize the building and end the fight once and for all, so You surge forward with all the force that You can muster._

_If You initiate combat with Armadi, the following dialogue plays out._

**Armadi:** You’re the tactician of this group, it seems… You won’t be able to find a strategy that helps you to escape this situation. I refuse to allow you to break through. I’ve fought for my place in this world, and I won’t yield it to someone like you!

_If Magnolia initiates combat with Armadi, the following dialogue plays out._

**Magnolia:** You’ve been causing enough trouble over the past few years, and I’m not about to let it continue.

 **Armadi:** I didn’t expect the queen of all people to come to my humble territory…

 **Magnolia:** Save it. I don’t want to listen to you talk like that when there’s so much that hinges on this fight.

 **Armadi:** Rather prickly, wouldn’t you say?

 **Magnolia:** I didn’t come here to get judged. I’m here to try and save the people who you’ve brought nothing more than pain and misery, and you will feel the consequences here and now!

_If Karim initiates combat with Armadi, the following dialogue plays out._

**Karim:** I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to see your face anymore…

 **Armadi:** You’re the leader of Faren lands.

 **Karim:** You keep on attempting to cross into my territory, and I’m not going to stand for that. You’ve caused the people living in the border villages to fear for their lives because you’re hungry for power. I’m not going to tolerate something so disgusting if there’s something I can do to stop it.

 **Armadi:** You talk quite a bit, though I suppose that is a talent for many nobles… But will you be able to back it up with anything?

 **Karim:** Oh, you’ll wish that I was only talking about all of this when I’m finished with you. That much I can promise.

_If Reese initiates combat with Armadi, the following dialogue plays out._

**Reese:** Oh, Uncle… We haven’t seen each other in quite some time.

 **Armadi:** I was hoping that you had died somewhere along the way… I wasn’t as lucky as I was hoping, it seems.

 **Reese:** You act like I’m the one with my foot halfway in the grave right now. You’re the one with those issues as far as I can tell. After all, you chose to cross me.

 **Armadi:** You’re just as feisty as you always were. You were hardly fit to rule over a territory one day.

 **Reese:**...Where’s Raina?

 **Armadi:** That won’t matter where you’re going, my sweet nephew.

 **Reese:** We’ll just have to see about that!

_If Luciana initiates combat with Armadi, the following dialogue plays out._

**Luciana:** Well… We sure are finding ourselves in quite the interesting situation, hm?

 **Armadi:** Luciana Daphne Arellan… We’ve met a few times.

 **Luciana:** You could certainly say that… But I would prefer it if you kept from using your flowery words with me.

 **Armadi:** Oh? What could lead you to treat me with such hostility?

 **Luciana:** I’ve had access to quite the large amount of information in the past few years, you see… My home territory of Arellan fell when there was an uprising because of the commoners lashing out against my mother. She had a stranglehold on the territory and all of its people. She would have known if anyone was trying to start a rebellion… Unless there was an outside person who happened to instigate such violence.

 **Armadi:** Do you truly mean to accuse me of such horrible things?

 **Luciana:** I do. Your lands are adjacent to what was once Arellan territory. You were looking to expand your influence, and you took advantage of my mother’s weak rule to do it.

 **Armadi:** She was never powerful enough to look over such a grand territory.

 **Luciana:** My opinions on my mother’s rule are irrelevant right now, but I do know that you caused many people to suffer in your wishes to instigate a rebellion. You hurt too many people along the way because you wanted power and were willing to do anything to get it. I’m not going to stand for something of that nature.

 **Armadi:** You think that you’ll be able to defeat me when your mother didn’t even get the chance to try?

 **Luciana:** I do, as a matter of fact. Make peace with the goddess… And perish.

_If anyone else initiates combat with Armadi, the following dialogue plays out._

**Armadi:** If you had been smart, you wouldn’t have crossed into my territory. I don’t exactly have a reputation for mercy regarding those who violate my rules. Still, you made this decision… And all I can do is carry out the given punishment.

_When Armadi is defeated, the following dialogue plays out._

**Armadi:** It… It wasn’t supposed to end this way… Faerghus… It should have been…

_When the battle draws to a close, You stand with the Blue Lions in the entryway of the Schweighen estate._

**Magnolia:** It appears that everything has been taken care of now… Luciana, set up our remaining soldiers in a defensive front to ensure that the remaining fighters from Schweighen lands don’t try to reclaim this area.

 **Luciana:** Of course. We should take any supplies from this area that we believe would be useful to our coming cause.

 **Nora:** Then let’s start to sweep through the building to see if there’s anything that we can take with us when we head back to the monastery.

 **Reese:** Before we divide… I want to say that we need to be on guard. You never know what could be hiding in the shadows of this place.

 **Kyle:** Let’s look around in groups if we can then. I’m sure that would take at least a bit of the risk off.

 **Reese:** There is one more thing… I believe that there’s another member of House Schweighen hiding in this area.

 **Illona:** I know who you mean… You’re talking about the heir to the territory, aren’t you? I’ve heard of her. Raina, I think her name is.

 **Aestlyn:** That’s right… I’ve heard about her too. I don’t think that we fought her during the last fight, so she’s probably around here somewhere.

 **Karim:** What do you think that we should do with her then? I don’t have any ideas on how to handle any of this territory, and she’s a mystery within that.

 **Reese:** Let me handle it. I’ll do what I can to try and figure things out. If you find her, bring her in my direction.

 **Falon:** I understand… If there’s anything that we think is related to her, then we’ll be sure to show you as soon as possible.

 **Reese:** Thank you all for your understanding.

 **Cassia:** Of course. It’s the least that we could do. Now, let’s go and take care of everything that we need to get out of the way. We don’t want to stay here any longer than we need to.

_The Blue Lions divide to take care of their respective tasks. You trail after Reese upon noticing that he is acting distantly, and You decide to ask him what is on his mind._

**Reese:** If I’m being honest, I think a little bit of everything is. I didn’t expect for things to go this way, and I didn’t think that Raina and I would be meeting this way. I had been hoping to never have to interact with my uncle again, that he would just buzz off and die somewhere so that I didn’t have to pay attention to him ever again. Still… I suppose that I’ve been looking forward to seeing my sister again for a long time, and I guess that now is as good a time as any to close the gap that many years apart has created between us.

_You ask him what his sister is like._

**Reese:** I… I don’t know. The last time that I saw her, she was still a young child, no more than a few years old. I always wondered how life treated her, but there wasn’t a way for me to come back here. My uncle killed our parents and used her Crest to rise to the top of the pecking order when our family was suspected to be wiped out. Many have suspected his dark activities, but without any evidence, he was simply allowed to keep moving on as he wished to. Besides, Faerghus was still being rocked by the death of the previous king, and no heir had been decided at the time. Times have changed since then, but it’s just been too chaotic for anyone to do anything about him… Until now, I suppose.

_You tell him that You will be there regardless of what happens with his sister._

**Reese:** Thanks for that, Professor. I really do appreciate it. I have no idea what to expect when it comes to seeing Raina again… I’m sure that she’s around here somewhere. Who even knows what pack of lies my uncle has fed her over the years since we’ve been separated? Nearly eighteen years have passed since I last saw her now. I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to seeing her again.

_You hear something shuffling nearby, and You decide to investigate. Reese trails after You, and You find yourself in a small room with him and a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to your coworker. You assume that this is Raina._

**Reese:** You… Raina?

_The woman takes a step forward and holds up a knife shakily._

**Raina:** Stay back! I’m not afraid to use this!

 **Reese:** Look, alright? My hands are in the air. I’m not going to hurt you. Please… just let us talk for a moment. This is important for you to hear about.

 **Raina:** Who are you? I don’t understand why you’re here at all. My uncle is--

 **Reese:** We know. Give us the chance to explain everything. I’m not going to hold back in telling you the truth, alright?

 **Raina:** Give me one good reason that I should listen to you.

 **Reese:** We have the same Crest. How does that sound for a reason? I’m being completely honest with you when I say that we have a connection, and I want to tell you everything about it. For one, I already know your name, and it’s not as if your existence has been as publicly advertised as most other nobles’ lives. That has to count for something as a point in my favor, right?

 **Raina:**...Let’s say that I believe your story. What is it that links us? I won’t be tolerating any foolish behavior, so if I think that you’re going to hurt me--

 **Reese:** I understand. I won’t do anything that could hurt you. I promise. Please… Listen for a moment.

 **Raina:** Fine. You have my attention, but please make it quick, alright?

 **Reese:** My name is Reese das Schweighen, and I was once the heir of this house. Many years ago, almost two decades now, my parents were murdered by my uncle, and my younger sister was used as a pawn for him to rise to become the leader of the house that had nearly crumbled to pieces under his influence. You are the one who was taken in by my uncle, and I know for a fact that we share a common Crest: Charon. I remember as such from when you were young.

 **Raina:** Why should I believe this? I have no reason to--

 **Reese:** Do you want to see proof? I have it.

_Reese displays his Crest of Charon._

**Reese:** I know that you have this Crest as well. I can also ask other noble houses for records regarding the lineages of various families, and I’m sure that they would back up my story as well. I want you to understand the truth. This isn’t just for my benefit. I want you to know where you come from and everything that happened in order for us to reach the place where we currently are.

 **Raina:** I… I don’t know what to say about all of this…

_Raina drops her knife to the floor, and You lean down to pick it up while remaining as open and cautious as possible._

**Reese:** You don’t have to offer me an answer right now. I know that it’s a lot of me to dump on you all at once, and I’m going to respect your wishes if you want to hold back for the time being. Just understand that I’m not trying to hurt you in the slightest, and if you ever want to learn more about where you come from… I’m here.

 **Raina:**...My uncle always said that my parents died in an accident, and that was when he took over the house. Nobody ever spoke to me about it. They said that it wasn’t something that I should need to hear about.

 **Reese:** I can’t say that I’m surprised… He’s always been a bit of a slippery man when it comes to matters such as this. I didn’t think that he would be honest, and I’m seeing now that I was completely right in assuming that he would do something like this to you.

 **Raina:** What am I supposed to even think about all of this?

 **Reese:** I can’t dictate what you do or don’t think about what I’m telling you. However, I can say that I’ll be more than happy to back up all of my claims with evidence as soon as I get the chance to do so. I know that me coming in here and telling you everything like this isn’t going to persuade you easily, so I’m telling you that I’ll put in as much effort as I have to so that we can one day be happy together… Not even that. I just want you to understand what happened in the first place. You deserve that much. Even if we never speak again afterwards, at least you’ll know what happened.

 **Raina:** I… I’m going to need some time to think about all of this. I don’t know what to do.

 **Reese:** I understand. I’ll do what I can so that you’re comfortable from here on out. This is a lot to hear about at once, but… I’m going to try and find you a place to stay in Fhirdiad. You’ll be safe there, and I’ll come back to see you again after the war ends. I promise.

_Reese moves to leave the room._

**Raina:** Um… Reese, was it?

 **Reese:** Yes?

 **Raina:** You and I… We do look rather similar, wouldn’t you say?

 **Reese:** Yeah… We do.

 **Raina:** Somehow… I think that I know you’re telling the truth. I don’t know how to describe it, but something about what you’re saying just feels right to me.

 **Reese:** Truly?

 **Raina:** Yeah… I’m going to try and think about all of this while we’re apart. Maybe we can become closer after the war ends…

 **Reese:** I… I would love that.

 **Raina:** I’d like it too…

 **Reese:** I hope that you stay safe until then. I’ll make sure that you’re accommodated properly within Fhirdiad. I came with the queen, and she’ll be able to help me.

 **Raina:** Queen Magnolia is here?

 **Reese:** She is. We won’t be able to stay for long, but… I don’t think that it’s a good idea for you to come back with us. You’ll learn more about our past if you’re in Fhirdiad and have access to the records there. Plus, I can tell that you aren’t much of a fighter. The way that you were holding that dagger earlier made it clear that you’re not experienced in combat.

 **Raina:** You would be correct in your assumptions.

 **Reese:** I figured as much… One day, things will be different for the two of us. That much I can promise you confidently.

 **Raina:** Thank you… Thank you for all of this. I don’t know what to say.

 **Reese:** We can work that out when we see each other again… How does that sound?

 **Raina:** Of course. It sounds perfect.

_You leave the room with Reese, and Raina leaves to go to other parts of the mansion. You ask how he is doing._

**Reese:** Honestly… I feel on top of the world. I don’t know how I expected that to go, but it ended well. I can finally see her again… After all this time, I’m going to be able to see my sister again. When the war is over, we’ll be together. That much I’m sure of.

_You ask if he will be alright spending time away from her over the next few months._

**Reese:** Of course. We were separated for many years as it was, so what’s a few extra moons?

_You nod your understanding._

**Reese:** Besides… I have something to look forward to after all of this is over now. One day, the war will end, and when it does, I’ll be back with my sister for the first time in many years. I’m sure that it’s going to be beautiful when the time finally comes.

_You say that You agree completely._

**Reese:** I suppose that we should meet with the others now… I’ll tell Magnolia about Raina, and she’ll be able to take care of everything. I’m sure that we can send a small faction of our forces back to Fhirdiad to make sure that she arrives safely… From there, we’ll just need to head back to the monastery.

_You tell Reese that You are happy today ended as well as it did._

**Reese:** Yeah… Me too.

_In the hours that follow, You and the rest of the Blue Lions finish gathering the necessary supplies from the Schweighen estate, and You make your way back to the monastery itself. Raina is sent back to Fhirdiad along with a small group of soldiers. Night has fallen by the time of your return, and You can see the other Blue Lions getting ready to turn in for the night when You cross paths with Magnolia. You approach her and ask how she is faring in the aftermath of the earlier battle._

**Magnolia:** Ah, Professor… I’m doing fine, thank you for asking. I suppose that I’m a bit exhausted from everything that we had to endure today though.

_You say that such a reaction is understandable._

**Magnolia:** I’m glad that Professor Schweighen was able to reunite with his sister though… His heart already seems much lighter than before. I’m hoping that the two will be able to properly reconnect when the war draws to a close.

_You tell her that You feel the same way._

**Magnolia:** …

_You ask if something is on her mind._

**Magnolia:** A lot is happening… That’s all. I’m a bit worried about Raina, if I’m being honest. Fhirdiad isn’t as safe right now as I was hoping for, but… Part of me thinks that she’ll be fine. Maybe Fhirdiad simply isn’t a safe place for me.

_You question if it has anything to do with her being queen._

**Magnolia:** That’s part of it… Not many people would want someone like me to be sitting on the throne, and I understand the risks of being in my current position. I hope that Raina doesn’t have to go through something like that. Then again… I suspect that her current predicament has little overlap with mine. She might be a noble, but… She isn’t the same as I am, and that has to count for something.

_You say that Magnolia is speaking of her Albinean heritage._

**Magnolia:** Just as bright as ever, Professor… But I don’t think that now is the time to be discussing such matters. I need to get some rest, and you do as well. Luciana isn’t going to be happy if I stay up much later and push myself too far. We’ve won a significant battle, but the war is far from over. There’s still a lot for us to accomplish, and we have to be ready… I hope that we can speak again at a later point, Professor.

_You say that You feel the same as Magnolia leaves. You watch her go before making your way back to your room, Seraphine speaking to You all the way._

**Seraphine:** There she goes again, trying to hide things from us… We’re going to figure it all out soon, I’m sure. It’s just a matter of time before the truth comes to light.

_You nod your agreement._

**Seraphine:** She is right about one thing though… It’s getting late, and we should get some rest too. I’ll see you in the morning.

_You settle down for the night as Seraphine’s voice vanishes from your mind. You wonder if You will be able to hear the truth from Magnolia soon, and You find yourself thinking back to what she said about Fhirdiad being an unsafe place for her. You wish Raina safety and take solace in the fact that Reese’s dark history is finally being laid to rest. You vow to do everything in your power to end the war as soon as possible for the sake of everyone involved, and You fall into slumber with thoughts of peace and the joy that the war’s victims will feel once the fighting has finally drawn to a close._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is chapter eighteen, and you know what that means: promotion!
> 
> -Digital

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoying my work? If you wish to receive updates on when I post new content, feel free to check out my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/__digitaldreams)  
> or [Discord server.](https://discord.gg/9MBReeF)  
> I occasionally post previews of upcoming stories on both, and there are discussion chats for my series on Discord. Any sharing of my content or other interaction (kudos, comments, bookmarks, etc.) is greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading, and I hope you're liking it so far!


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